Mixed weather conditions at Jerez saw Gresini’s Toni Elias set the best time with a lap of 1’45.024 leaving Yonny Hernandez (Blusens STX) in second and more than half a second behind him and American Kenny Noyes in third.

Alex De Angelis (Scot Racing) was fourth on the chart, but was 0.708s from his former team mate Elias. The Forward Racing duo Jules Cluzel and Claudio Corti were fifth and sixth.

Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Racing) was seventh and Roberto Rolfo made a big jump forward from Saturday, taking the eighth position after returning from the shoulder injury he picked up in Barcellona and missing the Valencia tests. Shoya Tomizawa was in 9th and closing the top ten was Julian Simon.

Continue reading: Moto2 Jerez Day 2 - Toni Elias on top on Sunday

Three days of official Moto2 testing got underway today at Valencia, with all the teams finally receiving the long awaited official spec engines signed, sealed and powered by Honda and prepared by Geo Technology that will have to last for the first three races.

Today’s testing saw reigning 125cc champion Julian Simon come out on top of the charts with his RSV and a best lap of 1.37”548 during the afternoon session pipping out former MotoGP rider Toni Elias of Gresini Racing by just 0.004.

Taking third was Claudio Corti on a Suter chassis bike (Forward Racing) who was 0.489s behind Simon and and another former MotoGP rider, Yuki Takahasi on the Tech3 bike in fourth.

Fifth was Yonny Hernandez who has taken Bernat Martinez place in the Blusens STX team. Anthony West was sixth with Ralf Waldmann’s MZ Racing Team is still on the reserve list.

The entry list for Moto2 has increased from 39 to 40 riders with the official admission of Marc VDS Racing Team’s second rider Vincent Lonbois. Also confirmed in Moto 2 is Simone Corsi with Japan Italy Racing that will ride a TSR alongside team mate Mattia Pasini, who will race with #3 as #24 is being used by Toni Elias.

All the official test times from Day 1 can be found here.

Continue reading: Moto2: Simon on Top on 1st day of testing

Unbelievably, former MotoGP rider Toni Elias has yet to be finalize his deal with Fausto Gresini’s Moto2 team.

Elias had initially signed with Pons’ team, but then reneged preferring to go back with his former team manager Fausto Gresini.

Elias has already tested Gresini’s Moriwaki bike and according to solomoto.es the official presentation of Gresini’s Moto2 team’s line up will be announced tomorrow or by the latest on Monday.

Alongside Elias, Gresini will also announce Russian rider Vladimir Ivanvov who has raced in WSS with Vector Racing and will be bringing in his sponsor to help finance the team.

Continue reading: Moto2 - Toni Elias to Sign with Gresini, finally

The Moto2 championship hasn’t even begun and we’ve already got team owners who want to take rogue riders to court.

Speaking to Catalunya Radio, Sito Pons, who unveiled his Pons Kalex prototype today at Valencia, confirmed that he may decide to take Toni Elias to court for breach of contract.

According to the Spanish manager, Elias had already signed a contract to ride for his Moto2 team in 2010, but the Spanish rider reneged on his contract and decided to go to Fausto Gresini’s Moriwaki Moto 2 team, but officially Gresini has yet to announce who will be his two riders and he’s not even sure he’ll have a Moto2 team due to the exorbitant costs.

Gresini has deposited the $25,000 registration fee, invested in the bikes already spending €400.000, but needs a further € 1.400.000 and the Italian team manager for the first time in twelve years is closing his budget in the red.

Source | dailymotos and gpone

Continue reading: Moto2 - Sito Pons to take Toni Elias to Court?

Toni Elias was supposed to have signed with Sito Pons Moto2 team when the Spanish rider couldn’t find a MotoGP who wanted him, has had second thoughts about Pons’s capability of paying his future salary.

Hector Barbera, who rides for the Pons’s PepeWorld Team in 250cc, during the Sepang free practice sat out the first twelve minutes in protest against the Spanish team manager who had not paid his salary and this may be the reason Elias has changed his mind.

Pons who announced at Sepang that he would be using the German Kalex motorcycle prototype has now fallen back on rider Alex Debon to spearhead his new team, while Elias seems to be staying with Fausto Gresini, albeit in the Moto2 team, despite Gresini stating that he has problems finding funds in order to run the two bikes designed by Moriwaki. Budget problems are also the reason that Lucio Cecchinello has abandoned plans to run a team in Moto2.

Today will be the last day for all new Moto2 teams to confirm their partecipation in series by paying a 17.000 euro security deposit and at Valencia GP, we’ll probably have more news about who will be actually be in the series.

Continue reading: Moto2 - Toni Elias changes his mind about Pons

Toni Elias has finally found a ride for next year, not in MotoGP or in WSBK, but in the new Moto2 championship. The Spanish rider despite his plea at the Brno GP to remain in MotoGP, has signed a one year contract with Sito Pons new Moto2 team.

Elias who’s best result so far this year is a 3rd place at Brno, currently lies 11th in the standings, lost his place in Team Gresini to Marco Simoncelli and Marco Melandri.

The 26 year old Spaniard has six podiums in his five years of racing in the MotoGP class and his name will always be tied to that 1st place at the Estoril GP in 2006 on a Honda when he beat out Valentino Rossi by 0.002s.

Elias will be partnered with Sito Pon’s son Axel, and will debut the Kalex Moto2 machine. Kalex Engineering, a German marque that is specialized in the field of automotive engineering and has worked with several teams in the DTM series and also customizes motorcycles.

After the jump the Kalex Moto2 motorcycle.

Continue reading: Moto2 - Toni Elias signs with Sito Pons

Valentino Rossi put his mark on the 2009 World Championship, took his 102th win and a 50th point lead at Brno on his direct and closest rival and teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi led the race almost unchallenged from the begining until Lorenzo caught up with him and on the sixth lap and overtook the Italian at turn 3, Rossi followed Lorenzo for a lap and at the same turn went in to pass him and Lorenzo in response to Rossi’s pass took the wide line, lost his front and crashed out leaving Rossi to cruise to the finish line uncontested.

Second place went to Dani Pedrosa and third to Toni Elias who battled it out with Andrea Dovizioso, who had a couple of wild saves and had to settle for fourth.

Loris Capirossi rode to fifth for Suzuki, just 0.12sec behind Dovizioso, while Nicky Hayden took a solid sixth place.

Continue reading: MotoGP Brno - Valentino Rossi wins, Lorenzo crashes

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team officially launched its 2009 MotoGP campaign. The team, led by two-time 125cc world champion Fausto Gresini, took off on its 2009 journey at the ‘Officine del Volo’ in Milan.

Fausto Gresini and Alberto Vitaloni, President of San Carlo Gruppo Alimentare, carried out the honours and presented the 2009 team line-up.

Riders Alex De Angelis and Toni Elias will assume riding duties for the Faenza-based squad this year with De Angelis continuing for a second season and Elias rejoining the Honda Gresini family after one year of absence. The San Marinese and the Spaniard unveiled the new liveries on their 2009-spec RC212V machines, emblazoned with the logo of title sponsor San Carlo.

Continue reading: Team Gresini Official 2009 Launch

After so many rumours about Niccolo Canepa riding next year in World Superbike or MotoGP, the Ducati Alice Team has announced the riders line up for 2009 in MotoGP with the Italian Canepa and Mika Kallio.

Niccolo began his career at young age riding a Ducati in the FIM Superstock 600 Cup, and won the Superstock 1000 Cup with the Ducati 1098. He was involved in developing the 1098R Superbike and became the Ducati Bridgestone test rider on the Desmosedici GP08. His experiences and good performances have opened 2009 MotoGP doors to him.

Mika Kallio, is third at this moment in the 250 World Championship and first of the KTM riders. It’s his second year in the 250 Class and he claimed two victories and a 7th position last year. This year Mika has taken three victories and is currently 3rd in the championship.

Continue reading: MotoGP 2009: Alice Team riders line-up

Toni Elias will not ride next year for the Ducati Alice Team nor the Kawasaki Team, having decided to return to the Honda Gresini Team to ride a Honda RC212V factorybike.

Toni rode in 2006 and 2007 for the Italian Gresini Honda Team but left the team for the Ducati Alice Team.

Kosuke Yasutake, HRC Managing Director, confirmed that a factory spec RC212V will be supplied to Gresini in 2009. “The possibility to line up on a Honda factory spec machine represents for us a sign of esteem from HRC and it will offer us all the potential to make a great season. Welcome back to Toni Elias who will be Alex De Angelis’ new team mate in 2009, recently confirmed after his debut season in MotoGP.” Gresini also announced today on the eve of the Australian GP that his satellite team will again be backed by San Carlo.

Continue reading: MotoGP 2009: Toni Elias at Gresini

More rumours about Italian Superbike rider Max Biaggi have emerged. After Max’s idea to replace Troy Bayliss at the Xerox Ducati team, we posted for you news about his return to Aprillia, signing a two-year contract. Today, more rumours are arriving and brings Max to … MotoGP.

It’s all about the news from Toni Elias, who is leaving the Ducati Alice Team to ride next year with the Fausto Gresini Team. It was unexpected because according to some media Toni should go to Kawasaki to ride the third bike. This possibly brings Max Biaggi to Kawasaki next year. Max doesn’t mind all the rumours and prefers to concentrate on his hometown Superbike race.

On his website, Max wrote: ” hi guys, finally Vallelunga race is arrived. I am happy and positive for this competition…after the podium of Donington, I want to get a better result. This morning I have read something that I have to deny, the rumors saying that I could have gone back to MotoGP. Personally I have never contacted any Team or Team Manager, not even Mr. Martinez. I will stay very focused on the last three races of the Championship and very soon guys, you will have my program for the future.”

Continue reading: Max Biaggi denies MotoGP rumors

Sete Gibernau wants to return to MotoGP and he hopes to return to Ducati, possibly in the Ducati satellite team?

Ducati has just confirmed it can supply five bikes in MotoGP. With the impending introduction of a one-make tyre rule, Ducati could scrap its test team and use the bike in competition. Perhaps a new team is born.

Factory team boss Livio Suppo told MCN a deal could be finalised for a fifth bike and even this week, he said: “For the fifth bike we will know more next week. Things are moving and for the rider line-up I am hoping within the next week will have a clearer understanding.”

So, let’s wait a few days more and we will know more about the return from Sete Gibernau, if Nieto will sign and if Toni Elias will stay at the Ducati Alice team after his latest podiums during the last races!

Via | MCN

Continue reading: Five Ducati bikes in MotoGP 2009?