RR WCH 250 6TH RACE: ITALIAN GRAND PRIX/MUGELLO RACE
04 June 2006 - KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG

Hero Hiroshi Aoyama crashes in the first round – Manuel Poggiali Place 12

Circuit: dry
Air temperature 19°C

The promise on Saturday of an exciting FRR 250 race on Sunday all disappeared into thin air on the first corner for the Red Bull KTM GP 250 team of Hiroshi Aoyama. During tough battles for position in the first lap Hiroshi came into contact with one of his opponents and ended up in the gravel. Also Manuel Poggiali missed getting away to a clean start because of clutch problems. It was only after Manual was able to adjust the clutch that he could put in fast lap times, even though by then he wasn’t able to catch the front runners. The quiet Red Bull KTM rider had to settle for place 12 at the conclusion of the 21-lap race.

Manuel Poggiali # 54 Red Bull KTM GP 250 – 12. Platz
“My problem was that my clutch slipped at the start. In the first round I kept trying to fix it so my time was naturally not that fast. By the time it was ok again I wasn’t able to make up the distance to the riders in front. Had we not had this problem, a top ten result would have been possible. Now I am hoping for a bit of luck in Barcelona so that we can start advancing again.”

Hiroshi Aoyama #4 Red Bull KTM GP 250 – Crash
“My clutch slipped at the start, so I didn’t get away well. Then someone braked in the middle of the first corner, which is rather unusual. I couldn’t get out of the way and ended up touching him. I just regained control of my KTM when someone ran into the back of me and that was the end of my race.
I was taken to the Italian doctors on the track because I had a whole at my arm. That was a new experience for me. Normally you get some kind of injection before they sew you up, but not here in Mugello. I really had to bite my teeth together.”

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