This Thursday (2/12/10) night views tune into RTE 2, watch Eugene Laverty as he is featured in this weeks Bulletin TV. The Bulletin TV crew came out to Imola to experience a nail biting race between Eugene Laverty and his rival Kenan Sofuoglu. For all you race fan you who watched the race live will remember the thrilling last lap battle!
Tune in RTE 2 @ 19:00 – 19:30 to see the show. Sky views channel 161.
You can watch the episodes that went out already on http://www.redbull.ie/cs/Satellite/en_IE/Article/Bulletin-TV-is-on-RTE-Two-every-Thursday-at-7pm-021242930714735?refmod=ContentFeed&refmodpos=A3

I’ve been reading, sleeping and watching movies most of today so thought I’d give writing a go!  So far it’s been a 23 hour shift and finally I’m on my third flight from Bangkok to Melbourne.  The key will be to stay awake for this entire flight as we’ll arrive in Melbourne at night.  I’ll have tomorrow to get myself into the timezone before hitting the track the following day for the first of three days on track with Aprilia.  What better team to share the test with than the current champions!  A good benchmark I’d say.

Valencia went really well but it was just a one day test again so it’s been difficult for me to know where I stand in the grand scheme of things.  Sure my times have been near to the lap record at both circuits so far but I won’t be setting any targets for 2011 until I complete this three-day test at Phillip Island.  My teammate Marco Melandri seems to be a nice fella and extremely laid back.  He looked at home on the R1 right away at Valencia so it looks like he’ll be fighting for victory from Round One.

I’m hitting the backspace key more than any other on my keyboard right now as we’ve just hit a serious amount of turbulence!  The joys of flying.  Anyway, I finally got my first run out on the trials bike last weekend and it was glorious.  There’s something really tranquil about riding trials in the winter and the moment I put my leg over the bike a big smile just came across my face.  We’ve had some really fun winters at home in Northern Ireland over the last few years and I wouldn’t change it for the world.  The weather may make it difficult for outdoor training but, hey, it’s home.  I’ve been living there for 24 years so I’m well accustomed to it!  Before I left for Australia I took to giving my road bicycle a proper cleaning which took two whole hours. There may not be much to them but they can fairly gather the grime.

I had a nice surprise on Monday morning when I received the call that two Yamaha motocross bikes had been delivered to my door.  Yamaha sure know how to look after their riders!  I plan to ride some mx in December on the 250 and convert the 450 into supermoto trim.  I haven’t done much supermoto riding but I really enjoy the riding techniques that it involves.  Hopefully this time next year I’ll be a bit of a dab hand at it!

I’m sure most of you will have seen the recent news of my brothers Michael and John securing their rides for 2011.  Michael will line-up with Swan Yamaha which is pretty cool as we’ll be able to compare our impressions of the R1.  John will remain with Stuart Hicken’s Buildbase sponsored team next season but after many years with Kawasaki the team will now switch to BMW machinery.  I’m dying to see how John gets on with the Beemer.  Michael will start the season as one of the favourites for the title whereas John could be a real dark horse.  BSB looks set for another interesting season in 2011 as Stuart Higgs and crew continue to do a great job with series.

Well that filled half an hour of the journey.  I’m off to check out what movies this plane has available to keep me entertained.  Before I go I must mention that I’ll be changing number next season as Sylvain Guintoli will remain in WSB with the number 50.  In testing I’m using 05 because I think it looks the part but the organisers won’t allow me to race it next season so I’ve decided on another number.  I’ll let you all know shortly!

Until next time, take it easy.

Eugene

This year at the Carole Nash Motorcycle Live 2010 held @ the NEC in Birmingham. Eugene Laverty’s Hoodies and Tshirt will be on sale at Racebikebitz Hall 2 stand B077. Which is right next to the trials arena Get them while stocks last.

EUGENE Laverty and Nutt Travel have joined forces to offer fans of the Irish star the chance to visit selected rounds of the 2011 World Superbike Championship.

The Laverty Fan Travel Club will offer a unique experience designed to give supporters a hassle-free trip to three or four events across the UK and Europe in 2011.

Leaving from airports, ferry terminals and bus stations across Ireland, the organised trips will offer transport, hotel accomodation, track access and tickets to make the World Superbike experience as trouble-free and enjoyable as possible, giving fans the chance to simply enjoy the racing.

The Laverty Fan Travel Group is currently exploring which rounds to attend, but is looking at one early in the season, one around the mid point and another towards the end. If interest demands, it will also add a fourth event to the calendar.

It means fans of the Yamaha factory rider will be able to get together in Ireland and travel out in a group to the selected events.

They will be taken to and from the hotel to the track where race tickets will be supplied, and there will be the chance to get up close and personal to Eugene himself during the weekend at a meet and greet session exclusive to the group.

“I decided to do this because I wanted to give something back to the fans, and I love the idea of supporters getting together and travelling out to the events in a group,” explained Laverty.

“The support I have received from the fans in Ireland has traditionally been fantastic, and we wanted to create a tailored service to give them the chance to come out as a fan club.

“The idea is that they turn up at the airport, ferry terminal or bus station and the rest is taken care of for them. They don’t have to worry about transport, accommodation, getting to the track or anything like that, instead they can concentrate on having a fantastic weekend and enjoy the world’s greatest form of motorsport.”

The group is now looking at which rounds to attend in 2011, and is asking fans which rounds they would like to see covered. Please send your thoughts and suggestions by email to eugene@eugenelaverty.com.

Social Media
Twitter : http://twitter.com/eugenelaverty
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eugene-Laverty/120545294673940

Tune in this Friday as Eugene Laverty will be on Irelands top sport show, iTalk Sport. Broadcasted on Setanta Ireland between 10-11pm on Friday nights - catch it again on Sunday evening from 9:45pm. It’s presented by popular sports broadcaster Eoin McDevitt. Each week three major names in the world of sport join Eoin in studio to chew over events of the week as well as some of the bigger conundrums of our sporting times. On the Pannel this week is our very own Eugene Laverty and Pro cyclist Nicolas Roche.

On twitter: @i_talksport
Freetext the show at: 50123
email: italksport@setanta.com
The website: www.setanta.com

Yamaha World Superbike 2011 team-mates Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty took to the track together for the first time today, taking part in a one day test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Despite strong winds both riders enjoyed a sunny dry track, enabling them to put both the 2010 and new 2011 racebike through its paces. The test was the first track outing for new Team Manager Andrea Dosoli, joining the team for 2011 in place of Massimo Meregalli who moves within the Yamaha family to work with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team.

The session was Melandri’s first opportunity to ride the Yamaha YZF-R1 and also his first day working with his new team. Riding on the Pirelli tyres for the first time, the Italian adapted quickly, spending the majority of the day on the 2010 bike to get acquainted with the R1 and give the team time to make basic set up changes to fit his physical shape on the bike. He impressed the team, settling in quickly to set an impressive fastest lap time on a qualifier tyre, only two tenths of a second off times from the previous day’s MotoGP test.

Melandri’s new team-mate Eugene Laverty got straight down to business today. Having already experienced the powerful 2010 R1 at the Mangy Cours Official World Superbike Test three weeks ago he took the opportunity to spend some time not just on the 2010 bike but also on the new 2011 YZF-R1 racebike, providing valuable data for the team in preparation of the upcoming test at Phillip Island in Australia at the beginning of December.

The new YZF-R1 follows a design philosophy of reduced weight and optimal weight balance for greater traction. The bike tested today also featured the new for 2011 Ohlins front forks, tested by both riders. The bike adheres to the 2011 FIM regulations for the championship, featuring standard fuel injectors, fuel pump and fuel regulators.

Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1’33.9, 79laps)
“It was a very good first day. In the beginning it was a completely different feeling to a MotoGP bike, much bigger! Lap by lap the feeling got better and better and I really enjoyed it. I was riding smoothly and I was especially happy with the Pirelli tyres, I got a really good feeling for the bike with them. I love the engine, it was impressive so I am very excited to go to Australia and carry on.”

Eugene laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1’34.9, 76laps)
“I’m feeling really comfortable with the bike. At Magny Cours I didn’t want to judge too much by one track, Valencia is very different so to feel good here as well is very positive. I rode the 2011 bike and we managed to gather a lot of really useful data to help prepare for the next test at Phillip Island. I’m feeling really positive, I think we’re heading in the right direction to have a very competitive bike for the new season.”

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“Today was good, it feels nice to be involved in such a professional environment, the team is working really well. I believe there is a good base here to achieve great results and have a good feeling with both the riders. I was a little worried about Marco’s first experience on a heavier bike with different tyres but I’m really happy that he had a good feeling and adapted quickly to the new tyres and bike, the lap time for him was not so bad either. Eugene has a lot of potential and is very motivated, he was working on different settings between the 2010 and 2011 bikes and was providing very clear feedback for the team to work with. We will go away now and use this information to prepare for the test in Australia in three weeks time.”

A delayed flight is always a good opportunity to sit back and write a thing or two. I’m flying out to Valencia for further testing and it’ll be my first time on track with my teammate Marco Melandri. We really need Mother Nature to play ball as we have just one day on track. I really enjoyed my first outing on the big R1 at Magny Cours last month and I was really pleased to get up to speed so quickly. I don’t want to set myself any goals for 2011 until December after I’ve ridden at both Valencia and Phillip Island. A few fast laps around Magny Cours doesn’t mean I’m going to be able to fight for the title next year, however many fast laps around Phillip Island in a few weeks time might!

My season finished on a high as well as a low which felt odd. I won my eighth race of the season but lost out on the title to Sofuoglu. He put together an incredibly consistent season finishing on the podium in every single race which made him a very tough rival indeed. I’m glad to see Kenan did so well in his two wildcard appearances in Moto2 and it looks like he’ll start next season as one of the favourites for the title. I opted to move to the World Superbike Championship rather than Moto2 to try and follow in the footsteps of Ben Spies and Cal Crutchlow. Both are now clear paths to MotoGP so it was a tough choice to make. However, I believe my debut test at Magny Cours proved that I made the right decision signing with Yamaha for 2011.

I’ve yet to get out trials riding this winter. December will be the month for climbing hills and attacking obstacles well out of my talent range! It’s the best part of winter time in Northern Ireland and I have a great bunch of friends to go riding with. We really do need to concentrate on improving out trials technique some time soon but then where’s the fun in that? We’d rather just laugh and joke our way around the forest, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day!

Last weekend my friends Tubman and Laura got married which meant a big party for all of us. The wedding took place in a castle which was quite fitting as Tubman is our very own Shrek and Laura his princess! It was a great few days and just like the stag do I spent most of the time in fits of laughter. Most of my friends don’t take life too seriously so the entertainment level is always pretty high! I scared the daylights out of Johnny Rea as he strolled through the spooky corridors towards his room. He was in a world of his own and when I jumped out at him I swear his heartrate hit 200bpm and only dogs could hear the pitch of his voice! I’m sure he’ll get me back at some point though so I’ll have to keep my guard up.

My flight is being called so I’d best be off to my departure gate. I’ve missed one flight already this week and I sure don’t want to miss another!

Catch ya’ll after the test.

Eugene

2011 Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Eugene Laverty today visited the team’s workshops at Germo di Lesmo in Italy. Having completed his first test on the bike following the final round of the 2010 championship at Magny Cours, Laverty had the opportunity to see firsthand the mechanics in the workshops making the adjustments of the bike from the data gained at his first test and get a first impression of the 2011 YZF-R1 racebike he will ride to challenge for the title next year. There was also a chance to meet some of the team members not usually present at the race weekends and get a deeper insight into the team’s base.

The team’s workshops are just a stone’s throw from the Monza circuit and sit next to the Yamaha factory MotoGP team’s workshop. Frankie Carchedi, Laverty’s crew chief for the 2011 season was also present, both enjoying the chance to discuss changes to the bike’s settings in advance of their one day test in Valencia next week and following test at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia at the end of the month. Laverty joins the team for the next year having completed two successful years in World Supersport, taking second in the championship after taking the fight to the last race in both seasons.

“It was nice to spend the day at the workshop and meet the guys who don’t always come to the race track,” said Eugene Laverty. “We also studied some data with Frankie from the first test in Magny Cours and looked at where we can improve. It gave me some good information for me to understand what I need to do differently and work on at the next test. It has all been really positive and a great opportunity to do it away from the race track with no pressure. The workshops were really impressive and I got to see everything, you can it’s very well organised. I’m really looking to getting on the 2011 racebike for the first time next week at Valencia and then Phillip Island at the end of the month to get cracking again!”

After several years as team manager for the Yamaha Motor Italia Supersport Team and then manager for the World Superbike Team from 2005 to 2010, Massimo Meregalli will now move across to join the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team in 2011 in a management role. Joining the WSB team for 2010 to replace him will be current Moto2 team manager and fellow Italian Andrea Dosoli.

Massimo Meregalli’s career with the World Superbike Team reached a high in 2009, securing the World Championship title with American rider Ben Spies. Over the five year tenure under Massimo’s management the WSB team achieved an impressive 24 Superpoles, 104 podiums and 33 race wins with riders including Spies, Noriyuki Haga, Troy Corser, Cal Crutchlow, Andrew Pitt and James Toseland. The team also secured the World Superbike Constructors’ Championship in 2008 for Yamaha.

38yr old Andrea Dosoli brings a wealth of road racing experience to his new role with the team, having been chief mechanic, responsible for data acquisition, MotoGP team manager and Moto2 team manager/co-owner for the duration of the 2010 season. Andrea will take on the responsibility of team management with the Yamaha World Superbike Team from the 10th of November 2010.

Yamaha Motor Europe wishes to express thanks and appreciation for Massimo’s loyalty, dedication and hard work with the World Superbike Team and wish him all the best in his new role with the factory MotoGP team next season.