The most important news from the last race of the season, both in sport and impact, is that Carlos Checa announced his retirement from racing after 20 years. Nolan Group has dedicated a commemorative helmet to him, with graphics that represent his twenty successful years. Thanks Carlos.
This last race confirmed Sykes as World Champion and despite his ankle injury saw Marco Melandri back on the podium in race one with a second place having lead all the way till the last corner. The injury, which he incurred on a domestic ride, had already stopped him from taking part in free practice on Saturday and ultimately prevented him from riding in race two. Camier made a great comeback after his serious leg injury with a good eight and sixth place. Very well also Aitchison with the private Team Pedercini Kawasaki tenth and ninth. Under tone instead Badovini struggling with Grip problems and a never competitive Michel Fabrizio .
Here are the final standings for our riders:
Melandri 4°
Fabrizio 7°
Camier 11°
Badovini 12°
Neukirchner 14°
Checa 15°
See you on 2014 Championship.
Carlos Checa X-lite X-802R
“This year I am celebrating twenty years of racing at world championship level. I am extremely proud of this long sporting career, which has given me many special memories of all the teams I have worked with. I have had the opportunity to compete at the highest level, riding the best bikes and winning against the best rivals. My aim has always been to discover my limits and to be able to take a close look at myself in order to continue to learn, grow and become a better rider and a better person. This is something that would not have possible without taking this path, full of risk, but which has also provided me with great challenges, adversaries and emotions; a long climb which culminated with my best season in 2011. There is a moment that will always arrive in the life of a sportsman, the day on which you say enough is enough. This day has arrived for me today. It was not an easy decision, but one that I’ve thought long and hard about. I am grateful to the entire motorcycle family, to those who make it possible for this world to exist and especially to those who have supported me and followed me from the start, for having given me the opportunity to pursue my dream and live a life that I wouldn’t have changed for any other. I will now move on to discover new things about myself, a new and stimulating phase now begins for me in Ducati. It will take time to adapt but I am confident about my future and the satisfactions that it will surely continue to give me. Thanks again to everyone for being here to support me on what is a very special day for me, definitely emotional but also unforgettable.”
Marco Melandri Nolan X-802R
“The first race was amazing. I gave everything to keep Eugene’s pace. Already with five laps to go I could not ride like I wanted because I could not use my foot properly but it was quite okay thanks to the Clinica Mobile. On the penultimate lap he made a little mistake so I came close to him and could try to make a pass. It was not an easy situation because we were sliding a lot but I was in front on the last lap. Then in the last corner I thought that Eugene has nothing to lose in the championship and could give it a try so I preferred to stay inside but I braked too early. Eugene was very smart so in the end he made a nice pass on me and that was it. I was sorry for my team because I would have liked to celebrate the 100th podium of my career with a win but it was okay like this. Congratulations to Tom and Kawasaki, they had an amazing end of the season. After race one my ankle was too painful. I preferred to listen to my body and not to race. I also did not want to end my time with BMW with a bad result. The last two years were a really important time in my career. I met great people who became really close to me and ready to help me. For sure the most difficult step will be to leave them, because they loved me, and to re-start from scratch. I wish all of them the best for the future, because they are fantastic and deserve the best.”
