SECOND DAY OF THE ITALIAN GP
19 June 2006 - Aprilia

BOTTURI (6TH) AND ZANNI (7TH), MAIN PLAYERS AGAIN

Team Aprilia Enduro was once again a team player in the second day of the race of the Italian GP. In Rovetta, in the province of Bergamo, both Alessandro Botturi and Alex Zanni confirmed that the E2 fifth place and the E3 sixth place obtained Saturday were not an isolated episode.

On the closing day of the fortieth edition of the Bergamo Valleys, Alessandro Botturi finished sixth in the E2 class. The rider from Brescia started out well, immediately attacking: 8th in the first lap, 5th in the second, and even 2nd in the third. Then, however, in the fourth, he got caught in a terrible fall causing him to lose precious seconds and, more importantly, he fell out of the top spot in the ranks. Despite a headache and a broken carter, he got back in the saddle of his Aprilia RXV 4.5, trying his best to cover the lost ground as fast as possible. He stuck with it, and in the end, was able to obtain sixth place.

Alex Zanni was visibly worn out at the start of the race, due to fatigue and his painful right knee, hurt during training, and exacerbated after the race on Saturday. For him, the day ended with a seventh place finish in the E3, which should be considered quite good given that his participation in the Italian GP was not decided until the last minute.

Now, after the crazy tour of the Italian GP, both riders will have a month to recuperate, get back the right physical condition, and prepare himself as best he can for the finale of the World Championship that starts back up the 15 and 16 of July at Parry Sound, in Canada, the first of two Transatlantic races.

Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5) – 5th and 6th in the E2 class
“Saturday was really an exceptional day. I almost couldn’t believe that I finished in fifth place in the world, behind some of the most sacred racers in this discipline. Sunday, I got off to an indecisive start, in the first three laps I drove really well, then in the fourth I made a mistake and it cost me a lot. I fell and hit my head pretty hard on a rock. It took me a minute to get myself back together, I didn’t know if I should continue or not. Then I got back in the saddle and I caught all the way up to sixth place. It’s too bad, because without that fall, I could have done better than my fifth place finish on Saturday. Anyway, I’m satisfied because we’re on the right track.”

Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5)- 6th and 7th in the E3 class
“I can’t be anything but satisfied with the results in the Italian GP. My injured knee kept me from preparing very well for the event. Even after only half of the first day, the pain limited me in my driving. I was careful when I touched my knee down in the curves to the right. Sunday morning, I came to the start without knowing if I would be able to finish a difficult race such as this but in the end I did it.”

Ennio Marchesin- Team Aprilia Director
“The Italian GP for us represents the best result obtained in the Enduro. We wanted to be among the first and now we are. Now we’re awaiting an important step: a fight with the top riders to get on the podium. This race has always been the most tiring and difficult of the season and both our riders and our motorcycles came out with their heads held high. Botturi was great, performing like a champion after a nerve-wracking fall. The same can be said for Zanni, whose participation was a risk after the fall during training, who just the same brought home the 6th and 7th place finishes.”

Rovetta (BG) – Italian GP, 4. leg of the World Enduro

FIRST DAY
E2 Class: 1. Samuli Aro (Ktm); 2. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha); 3. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha); 4. Mika Ahola (Honda); 5. Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5).
E3 Class: 1. David Knight (Ktm); 2. Sebastien Guillaume (Gas Gas); 3. Alessio Paoli (Tm); 4. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg); 5. Paolo Bernardi (Honda); 6. Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5).

SECOND DAY
E2 Class: 1. Samuli Aro (Ktm); 2. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha); 3. Mika Ahola (Honda); 4. Andrea Belotti (Ktm); 5. Xavier Galindo (Ktm); 6. Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5).
E3 Class: 1. David Knight (Ktm); 2. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg); 3. Alessio Paoli (Tm); 4. Sebastien Guillaume (Gas Gas); 5. Marcus Kehr (Ktm); 7. Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5).

WORLD STANDING AFTER THE 4th ROUND
E2 Class: 1. Samuli Aro (Ktm) 178 punti; 2. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha) 167; 3. Mika Ahola (Honda) 160; 10. Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5) 72.
E3 Class: 1. David Knight (Ktm)200 punti; 2. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 152; 3. Sebastien Guillaume (Gas Gas) 149; 9. Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5) 88.

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