ROSSI SETS EARLY PACE AT JUBILEE DUTCH TT
23 June 2005 - Yamaha Racing

Gauloises Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi signalled his intentions to repeat last season''s Dutch TT victory at Assen with a dominant performance on the opening day of this year''s 75th anniversary of the legendary event.

The reigning World Champion set the fastest time in the first free practice session this morning, posting a benchmark lap of 2''01.003 at the recently remodelled track, only bettered in the afternoon by himself and a last-gasp effort from Loris Capirossi (Ducati), who tops the overnight time sheets after clocking a time of 2''00.757 on his final lap.

Rossi and his Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards worked purely on race tyres as they began the quest to find an optimum set-up for their YZR-M1 machines before the seventh race of the 2005 season on Saturday. Edwards set the eighth fastest time overall in the afternoon after shaving over half a second off his morning time, despite rising temperatures which touched 34ºC in the early Dutch summer sunshine.

For the Fortuna Yamaha pair it was a reasonably successful day with Ruben Xaus finishing 14th quickest on day one while his temporary team-mate David Checa ended with a respectable 17th in only his third MotoGP-weekend.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 2nd, 2''00.840
''In the morning the bike was already good but we made a few modifications in the afternoon and, to be honest, it wasn''t quite as good as it had been in the morning and we lost some of the feeling. Anyway, we have a very good base to work from and tomorrow we can try something different. The changes to the track have taken a little bit of the taste away, but they were made for safety reasons, which means they are very important. Despite the changes it is still Assen and it is always a great pleasure to ride here, it''s a very special track. Once again the bike is working well right from the start and I think if we can improve the balance and the setting a little more, then we can make a good result in Saturday''s race.''

Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 8th, 2''01.588
''It''s better than it looks! When everything is working perfectly and you find yourself in eighth place then it looks like you have a problem, but we have some very clear ideas where we can improve and we still have plenty of time. I feel like I can find another half-second tomorrow. I''ve been struggling for traction since Mugello so we''ve retraced our steps a little with the setting, made a pretty major change to the rear of the bike and it feels a lot better. I''m losing a few tenths in the new sections because I haven''t worked out which is the hot line through there yet but, like when you visit a new track, it always helps to sleep on it. Also, the corners at Assen are so unbelievably fast compared to anywhere else that it always takes me a day to get used to where I can brake - and where I don''t have to! At some tracks you can turn up and the bike works straight away but Assen is not one of them. It puts a lot of load on the bike and unless you find the right setting you can''t go fast. ''

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director
''Valentino started out very well this morning and found an immediate feeling for this track, so from then on it has just been a case of fine tuning the small details. He completed a lot of work today, working on different setting options, but there is still plenty of room for improvement and tomorrow it will be time to put it all together. Colin is in a similar situation - he has found a good base quickly and is now looking for the changes that can help take a few tenths off his lap time in different parts of the track. It has been a good first day for us and we have an excellent starting point for the rest of the Grand Prix. Now we just have to keep working hard tomorrow and make sure we are in the best possible conditions for Saturday''s race.''

Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 14th, 2''02.790
''We''re doing a good job today. About my crash, it was a shame because I lost the front earlier but I managed to save it. The second time I was not so lucky. The bike is getting better and I''m getting more confident but I still have to stop making some of these mistakes. Assen is a really challenging track and proof of this is evident with how many how many riders ran off today.''

David Checa (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 17th, 2''04.259
''This is one of the most difficult tracks in the world championship, more than Mugello or Catalunya. I''ve been focused on trying to understand the track so that I could concentrate on a fast lap this afternoon. I''m feeling confident about tomorrow and I''m sure we can improve.''

Round: 7 - Assen TT
Circuit: Assen
Circuit Length: 5997
Fastest Lap Ever: 2'' 0.757 (Loris Capirossi, 2005)
Date: 23 June 2005
Temp: 34ºC

Free Practice :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Free Practice
1 L. Capirossi Ducati ITA 2'' 0.757
2 V. Rossi Yamaha ITA 2'' 0.840
3 S. Gibernau Honda ESP 2'' 1.037
4 A. Barros Honda BRA 2'' 1.053
5 M. Melandri Honda ITA 2'' 1.242
6 N. Hayden Honda USA 2'' 1.490
7 C. Checa Ducati ESP 2'' 1.524
8 C. Edwards Yamaha USA 2'' 1.588
9 M. Biaggi Honda ITA 2'' 2.029
10 S. Nakano Kawasaki JPN 2'' 2.280
11 J. Hopkins Suzuki USA 2'' 2.289
12 A. Hofman Kawasaki GER 2'' 2.409
13 T. Bayliss Honda AUS 2'' 2.424
14 R. Xaus Yamaha ESP 2'' 2.790
15 M. Tamada Honda JPN 2'' 3.066
16 K. Roberts Suzuki USA 2'' 3.609
17 D. Checa Yamaha ESP 2'' 4.259

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