APRILIA FIVE IN THE LAST SESSION OF IRTA TESTS
02 March 2006 - Aprilia

Aprilia riders in the top five positions.

This is how the second session of IRTA testing ended on the Catalonian circuit; with Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Aprilia) reeling in the best time and Alex De Angelis (Master Aspar), Smrz (AB Cardion), Barbera (Fortuna Aprilia), and Locatelli (Team Toth) rounding out the top five.

“To have five motorcycles lead all the others in the first officials tests of the season – said Giampiero Sacchi, Director of Sporting Activities for the Piaggio Group – is very encouraging with the beginning of the season in sight.”

Jorge Lorenzo confirmed himself as the rider to beat in the 2006 tests. The rider from Team Fortuna was always among the fastest during the winter tests and confirmed his enormous potential during this session of IRTA testing, closing out with a time of 1’46”563. Just behind Lorenzo was Alex De Angelis. The rider from San Marino put himself in position to be in the fight for the 2006 title. Today, he completed seventy laps and achieved a solid time of 1’47”232.

The surprise of the Barcelona Irta testing was Jakub Smrz. The rider from the Czech Republic (who races for the colors of AB Cardion) made himself noticed for his speed and consistency. In the seat of the RSW 250 LE (the initials that identify official 2005 motorcycles) taken care of by Mauro Noccioli, Smrz was about two tenths of a second better than Hector Barbera, closing out his trials with the time of 1’47”275.

Like Smrz, Roberto Locatelli also had a RSW LE taken care of by the Team Toth technicians. The rider from Lombardy was efficient at Barcelona, able to close out the session far from the peak of 1.1 seconds, with a time of 1’47”726.

The apprenticeship continues for the first-timers Palumbo (Team Matteoni) and Danese (Angaia Racing). They closed out the Barcelona tests respectively in 25th and 26th place.

www.aprilia.com

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