Pramac Ducati’s Niccolò Canepa has now officially been ruled out of the upcoming Malaysian Gran Prix at Sepang,

The young Italian rider suffered a massive crash during the first free practice at Phillip had to undergo a skin graft operation at a Melbourne hospital to fix a large cut on his forearm. The doctors have advised the Ducati rider to avoid racing because of the high risk of infection.

Canepa will be replaced at Sepang by Aleix Espargaro who will be riding full time for Pramac Ducati next year.

Niccolò Canepa is expected to return for his last race in MotoGP in the final round at Valencia November 8th.

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Today’s MotoGP practice at Phillip Island saw several riders crash out including Pramac Ducati’s Niccolò Canepa.

The Italian rookie crashed at turn one while he was going over 200 km/h and slid across the track burning his right elbow and gashing open his forearm. Treated at the Clinica Mobile, the rider was then sent to a Melbourne Hospital to check out if their are any tendon or nerve damages and have further treatment on his open cut.

If the large cut cannot be sutured properly Canepa will have to undergo a skin transplant that will rule him out of Sunday’s race.

Canepa, who is currently 16th in the standings with 38 points will be replaced by Aleix Espargaro next season, has been linked to rides in the new Moto2 series and in the World Superbike championship.

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During last weekend’s Laguna Seca race more than a MotoGP wag was talking about the fact that rookie Niccolò Canepa was riding on borrowed time and that Ducati and Pramac Racing were going to give the young Genoan rider till Donington to shape up. Word even had it that Ducati already had 250cc Team Toth’s Mattia Pasini lined up ready to fill in for him.

Instead both Ducati and Paolo Campinoti of Pramac Racing have confirmed their faith in Canepa for the future in their team structure.

Canepa’s brief career so far includes being Ducati’s Bridgestone tire test rider last year and in the past has always rode a Ducati. First in Superstock 600, then in Ducati’s Xerox Junior Team in Superstock 1000 where he won the Championship with the new 1098s. He was a wild card twice in WSBK in 2008 and has a two year option with Pramac to ride in MotoGP till 2010 and currently is 16th with 26 points in the riders standings.

Source | bikeracing.it

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Pramac Racing has a new one off livery for this weekend’s Laguna Seca race, their title sponsor is Powermate, a leading consumer brand in the USA whose products include portable generators, pressure washers, air compressor and air tools.

Paolo Campinoti - Pramac Racing Team Principal

“There couldn’t be any better occasion to place Powermate brand on the Pramac Racing bikes. We have found an important agreement for this one event partnership and we are really happy about it. I think that one event partnership can be a really good investment for many companies that aren’t present on all of the nations where the MotoGP world championship competes. The prestigious brand, which is Powermate, is present in the United States of America from more than forty years and it is leader of the production and selling of portable generators. Our bike will have the new colors since Friday’s first free practice and we confide that our only rider here due to Mika Kallio’s injury, Niccolò Canepa, will be able to obtain a good result.”

Source | pramacracing

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The choosing of the umbrella girls for the Italian GP at Mugello has become big promo business and sponsors play it to the hilt.

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo got his two when he inaugurated the new Fiat Open Lounge in Milan. Lorenzo met up with Luisa Mearns and Stefania Cicirello who were the two winners of Radio DeeJay and Fiat Automobile SpA contest for grid girls for this weekend’s Gran Prix.

Randy DePuniet and LCR Honda’s owner Lucio Cecchinello are choosing their grid girls in a casting that’s going to take place tonight in a Playboy event at the Disco Central Park in Florence. Playboy Playmates and Bunnies are going show up for the party.

Niccolò Canepa and Mika Kallio of Pramac racing will also be choosing their Sunday’s brolly girls tonight in another Florence disco, the Meccanò.

So ladies if your in town and don’t have other plans for tonight, you know where to go. Hey you never know what opportunities could arise, you may even get noticed by the Italian PM and offered a job in politics.

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No, its not an injury or athlete’s foot, but Ducati’s Junior Team Alice rider Niccolò Canepa just has big feet.

Not a pocket size rider like Toni Elias or Dani Pedrosa, Canepa has a size 44 and this has been giving him problems in using Ducati’s rear brake especially in the right hand corners. This has been solved during the Jerez test by using a thumb operated rear brake taking the place of the normal right foot lever.

Canepa felt that controlling the rear by hand would be a more comfortable option for his first year of Grand Prix racing . A similar combination was previously used by Troy Bayliss and Ruben Xaus still uses it.

“My feet are too big and I can´t push the rear lever with the foot; I prefer using my hand. I’m still learning the combination, but every lap it gets better and better” says Canepa.”I will definitely use it next year. It is too difficult for me to use the rear brake like the other riders. It’s a good opportunity to use this system, and I like the feeling.”

Source | gpone.com

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Some new gossip from the SBK: who will replace Troy Bayliss in 2009?

Niccolò Canepa, FIM Superstock Champion in 2007 received a Wildcard for Brno, Vallelunga and Magny Cours.

A new start after testing the Ducati Desmosedici, will he come to the SBK next year to replace Troy?

Via | Superbike.it

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