For multiple World Champion Valentino Rossi, who lives not far away from the Misano circuit at which 'the Doctor' has claimed two victories and an additional podium finish, the race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is a very speical and important round.
His American team mate Nicky Hayden returns to action this weekend after suffering an injury during qualifying at Indianapolis almost a month ago that also forced him to miss the following Grand Prix in the Czech Republic. Hayden has been undergoing rehabilitation in his home country and this Friday the man from Kentucky will test the strength and endurance of his right hand, which had suffered two fractures.
Valentino Rossi
"Misano is one of two home races for us, so there will be a lot of fans and a very special atmosphere, as is always the case when we race in Italy. The track is challenging and difficult, but I like it a lot. It has some really fun sections, such as the exit from the "Tramonto" corner and the big, fast corners after the back straight. We’ll have to work well in the practice sessions in order to fight and to try and do a nice race."
Nicky Hayden
"I can’t wait to get back on the track, but I know that it won’t be easy this weekend. My hand is improving and one of the two fractures is healing quickly, while the other metacarpal still has a pretty good fracture line. I’ve been able to keep up with my cardio training, and of course I’ve been doing the normal rehab, including a visit to Dr Ting in California. Braking on these MotoGP bikes puts a lot of stress on the right hand, particularly on a clockwise circuit like Misano. Nevertheless, racing at one of Ducati’s home tracks is something that I enjoy, and I certainly hope to be able to do the race. We’ve got a couple of things stacked against us, but we’ll see if we can put up a solid result and kick off a new positive stretch at Misano."
Press release courtesy of Ducati Team.
His American team mate Nicky Hayden returns to action this weekend after suffering an injury during qualifying at Indianapolis almost a month ago that also forced him to miss the following Grand Prix in the Czech Republic. Hayden has been undergoing rehabilitation in his home country and this Friday the man from Kentucky will test the strength and endurance of his right hand, which had suffered two fractures.
Valentino Rossi
"Misano is one of two home races for us, so there will be a lot of fans and a very special atmosphere, as is always the case when we race in Italy. The track is challenging and difficult, but I like it a lot. It has some really fun sections, such as the exit from the "Tramonto" corner and the big, fast corners after the back straight. We’ll have to work well in the practice sessions in order to fight and to try and do a nice race."
Nicky Hayden
"I can’t wait to get back on the track, but I know that it won’t be easy this weekend. My hand is improving and one of the two fractures is healing quickly, while the other metacarpal still has a pretty good fracture line. I’ve been able to keep up with my cardio training, and of course I’ve been doing the normal rehab, including a visit to Dr Ting in California. Braking on these MotoGP bikes puts a lot of stress on the right hand, particularly on a clockwise circuit like Misano. Nevertheless, racing at one of Ducati’s home tracks is something that I enjoy, and I certainly hope to be able to do the race. We’ve got a couple of things stacked against us, but we’ll see if we can put up a solid result and kick off a new positive stretch at Misano."
Press release courtesy of Ducati Team.
