MEET THE LCR HONDA MOTOGP TEAM

Moto.com follows LCR Honda over the course of a Grand Prix weekend to get the inside track on how Lucio Cecchinello’s staff prepare for premier class racing.motogp.com meets the LCR Honda team, from manager and owner Lucio Cecchinello and Chief Mechanic Christophe Bourguignon, to Logistics and Communications Manager Elisa Pavan, Tyre Technician Ugo Gelmi and the various mechanics who help to prep Randy de Puniet’s satellite RC212V.

MICK DOOHAN

Always a welcome face at Phillip Island, five-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan was treated to a warm reception amidst the cold of Phillip Island when he attended an autograph signing session yesterday afternoon. The local legend assessed new MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner's performances this season, and also gave his own particular analysis of the Australian weather.

"I don't remember it being so cold here!" exclaimed Doohan. "I hope that things improve over the weekend. Its like what Barry Sheene used to say: ‘Welcome to Phillip Island –the home of hypothermia!" Asked if he had a particularly fond memory of Phillip Island, the legendary Australian looked back to 1998. "Of course, winning here continues to be the big one. I took my fifth world title, and it was one of the most intense moments of my career. I'd missed out on winning here on a number of occasions before, so to be able to finally take the win made me very happy." "The most special thing about this place is the atmosphere, and this year it should be even more special with the new Australian champion to cheer on," continued the national hero, before running the rule over the new generation of Antipodean stars. "It's difficult to find fault with Stoner at the moment. He is on the pace and should do well this weekend. West is learning on the Kawasaki and Vermeulen is in a similar situation. The three of them are great riders, but at the moment Stoner is the man to beat."

MELANDRI CONFIRMS KAWASAKI MOVE FOR 2009

Although he still remains focussed on completing the 2008 campaign with current employees Ducati Marlboro, former 250cc World Champion Marco Melandri has revealed that he is to join Kawasaki at the end of this season.

Following his move to the Ducati factory team from satellite outfit Honda Gresini last winter Melandri has experienced an abrupt downturn in form and it was confirmed last month that he would not stay with the Italian manufacturers beyond 2008.

Since then Melandri has been in discussions with other teams and has made his mind up that Kawasaki is the right move.

Speaking to motogp.com on the second and final day of the post-Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky test on Tuesday Melandri commented, `I hope to get good results in the last six races of 2008 and after that I am moving to another team. I will ride for Kawasaki next year so it´s a big change for me.´

`For the time being I want to think about this season but it will be a big challenge next year. I will keep working hard though and I am quite confident.´

Explaining why he had chosen Kawasaki in particular he added, `(John) Hopkins is a very good rider and maybe he needs a stronger team-mate to be a little bit more motivated. Maybe I also need this kind of company to be motivated a little bit more because I really want to work closely together with a team-mate, so it will be a good experience anyway.´

Commenting on the possibility of a return to Honda Gresini, a rumour that had circulated in the MotoGP paddock, Melandri also said, `Yes it would have been a very nice option to go back to Fausto (Gresini). I had a very good time with him and he has always helped me a lot. Also this year we have been talking together, but for me, I have been looking at Kawasaki and they always seem very good. The engineers and the people give me a good feeling just to talk to them, so that is what I want to do.´

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CLUB DUCATI

Looking back from today, I can still remember the feeling the first time I got at the back of a motorcycle. After that, things were never the same for me. Funny but I have this feeling wherein sometimes I feel that part of me revolves around anything to do with bikes, sometimes even my decision making and perspective are in a way influenced by this hobby. Not that I resent it, it slowly grows into your system. Those quick decisions; reflexes and precautions while riding finds its way to your life somehow. So what comes next??? You've already mastered your machine and you've also been to far flung places

STONER ENDS FRIDAY MOTOGP ACTION AS FASTEST RIDER IN BRNO

Casey Stoner recorded the fastest time in the combined free practice session standings for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky.

A back-and-forth battle between the top two MotoGP riders of the moment continued in Brno on Friday, as Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner took turns in leading the way in the first free practice sessions for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky.

Having been usurped in the closing stages of the morning run by his Italian rival, it was Stoner who ended the day as the premier class´ leading man, recording a fastest lap of 1´57.231 and edging out Rossi by 0.179. The winner and poleman of the 2007 Czech race has been the dominant force in practice and qualifying runs since late June, and proved that he hadn´t missed a beat over the summer break. He ran off track shortly after clocking his quickest time of the day, but otherwise had little problem in navigating the Brno track onboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP8.

He was, however, suffering from a fever. This was made obvious by the image of a spent Stoner slumping into his hands during the afternoon session. This has not put him off in the past; his first MotoGP pole position at Qatar in 2006 was taken under similar circumstances.

Catching up with his countryman and his former teammate at the termination of the session, 2006 racewinner Loris Capirossi had his first experience of the circuit onboard Rizla Suzuki machinery. The Italian veteran was half a second down on second placed Rossi on the combined timesheet.

Entrusted with a factory spec Honda RC212V from this weekend until the end of the season, San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano edged out his teammate on the standard bike, Alex de Angelis, in the final moments of the session. The satellite team duo were separated by just 0.036, although Nakano had been very happy with the handling of his new machine.

Chris Vermeulen completed an all-Bridgestone top six, with the only Michelin rider featuring in the top ten on day one being Tech 3 Yamaha´s seventh-placed Colin Edwards. Last year´s runner-up at Brno, John Hopkins, was eighth despite a pair of crashes on his return to action from a leg fracture, whilst Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli rounded off the fastest ten riders of the day onboard their satellite Ducati bikes.

There were crashes in the session for De Angelis, LCR Honda´s Randy de Puniet and second Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland, without consequences, whilst bigger difficulties came for Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa. Third in the World Championship standings, the Spaniard was once again feeling the after-effects of his Sachsenring crash and hand injuries, finishing sixteenth on the opening timed runs at Brno.

JACK WITH HANDLE