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Bancaja team target more podiums at Assen

In MotoGP

23 giugno 2009

Bancaja team target more podiums at Assen

Spanish squad has had a rider on the podium at each round so far and holds three of top four positions in the championship

The final weekend in June is fast approaching and for any motorcycle racing fan that can only mean one thing - the Dutch TT. The arrival of summer to Assen also signifies the arrival of the MotoGP World Championship for the seventh round of the 2009 season and the only race to take place on a Saturday. The last round in Barcelona saw the chase for the 125cc title blown wide open once again, with victory for Andrea Iannone, although barring mistakes or disaster it looks set to be a four-way tussle to the end. It is time for the title contenders to make their statement and head into the first of the two short summer holidays on a high, with only MotoGP going to Laguna Seca meaning a break in action for the smaller classes until mid-July.

The Bancaja Aspar takes its spectacular run of form this season to Holland with every hope of continuing its success. Bancaja riders have been a constant presence on the podium so far this season, with four for Simón, three for Gadea and two for Smith. Simón recovered the championship lead at Montmeló despite a bizarre final lap that he can't wait to put behind him. Bradley, who conceded the leadership to his team-mate by only 1.5 points, struggled to find a setting for his Aprilia at Montmeló and will look to be back amongst the frontrunners from the first practice session. Gadea is determined to stay hot on the heels of his Bancaja team-mate in the championship and a team test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia last week has all three confident of a strong challenge this weekend.

Julián Simón: "I really like Assen a lot. The old layout was better but it is still fun to ride here. I am really motivated because I know I can run at the front, even though we won't know exactly what we're capable of until we get out there. I'm sure that if we keep working as we have done up to now we'll be up there. The weather is going to be an important factor, as it always is here, and there's usually a day or two of rain. I really want to get back to winning ways, like at Le Mans, and be up there fighting for victory the whole race. I also want to put the disappointment of Montmeló behind me. Being back on top of the championship givers me a lot of motivation and I think it is a position befitting of the job we're doing."

Bradley Smith: "After finishing eighth at Montmeló I'm looking forward to getting to Assen and fighting for a top finish. It wasn't a bad result and I'm still only a point and a half behind Julito but I was left with a bittersweet taste after that race. We have to think positive and keep working in the same way we have up to now. The Dutch TT last year was a strange race because of the red flag but I think I finished fifth, which isn't a bad result. I really enjoy riding at Assen - a lot of people I speak to say the old circuit was even more fun but I never had the chance to ride it. The first section is a bit slow and personally I prefer the second half of the lap because it's really quick. I think the work we did at the Valencia test should pay off because we improved engine performance."

Sergio Gadea: "Assen is a circuit I've done well at in the past. Last year I broke down when I was in third place but I've been on the podium here before and I have plenty of good memories. I think I can be competitive here in wet or dry conditions and psychologically speaking we're strong after the podium at Montmeló and I think we can look for a top result. I just want to keep working as well as we have done up to now - I know we're 25 points behind Julián but we closed the gap in the last round and it is only one race difference, so it is up to us not to make any mistakes and to stay in touch. We'll try and do our job to the best of our ability in each race, not make any mistakes and I think our experience could play in our favour."