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      Cal Crutchlow ‘dreaming’ of podium finish as he prepares for Silverstone return in British MotoGP a year after retiring

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      CAL CRUTCHLOW says he never expected to be given an opportunity to race at Silverstone again.The 35-year-old has earned a dream recall for the Monster Energy Yamaha team in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli and will race in the British MotoGP this weekend.
      Cal Crutchlow is ready for the British MotoGP – despite retiring a year agoCredit: PA
      The 35-year-old has earned a dream recall for the Monster Energy Yamaha teamCredit: Getty
      The Coventry-born racer retired at the end of last season to take a role as the team’s test rider.
      He said: “I never thought I would be racing in the British MotoGP again, let alone riding for the Monster Energy Yamaha team.
      “It is a privilege to be on the bike and on the grid in front of the British fans.
      “Over the years, I have been the British guy at the front of MotoGP and there was always the expectation to have a great result at Silverstone, which I always tried to do.
      “This year it is a little bit different. There is no pressure and I can enjoy it a little bit more and see how we go.
      “But seeing a sell-out crowd will be amazing, so I am looking forward to getting back out there and nice to be racing at Silverstone again.”

      Crutchlow’s best finish at Silverstone was second in 2016 and says that while a podium is unrealistic, he’s not ruling it out in front of a full house.
      He added: “A podium? You are absolutely dreaming! I am just looking forward to it but with MotoGP you never know.
      “One week someone can win and then the other week, they’d nearly be last. That’s what’s good about MotoGP, the battling and being so competitive.
      “I have no idea about this weekend. I will look to do my job and enjoy it.
      “I am not up to speed with the other guys, they have been riding all year and I have had five months off the bike.
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      “But I rode in Austria and got a feeling for it and it would be nice to be able to go better this weekend.”
      Despite being drafted in at late notice, he says he has no regrets about calling time on his racing career last year.
      He said: “I stopped racing full-time at the right time. I still believe it was the right choice and I enjoy watching it from home and seeing how my friends are getting on.
      “It has been a big part of my life for so long so to be back in, is good fun but I enjoyed being a test rider, so it is a perfect combination.”
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      MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi will RETIRE at end of the season as nine-time World Champion hints at move into car racing

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      MOTOGP icon Valentino Rossi will retire from the sport at the end of the season.The Italian, 42, is one of the greatest riders in motorcycle racing history and is a NINE-TIME world champion.
      MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will retire at the end of the seasonCredit: AFP
      The Italian, 42, is a NINE-TIME World Champion – but has struggled in recent yearsCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Rossi will bring down the curtain on an illustrious 25-year career which brought an incredible 115 victories and 235 total podium finishes
      He is the only rider to win the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP world championships and one of just two men, along with Giacomo Agostini (122), to win more than 100 races.
      Rossi made the announcement ahead of the Styrian GP – at the venue where he took his first grand prix podium in the 125cc class in 1996.
      Nicknamed The Doctor, Rossi told a press conference: “I decided to stop at the end of the season.
      “It’s difficult, it’s a very sad moment because it’s difficult to say and to know that next year I will not race with the motorcycle.
      “I do this thing for more or less 30 years. Next year my life will change. But anyway, it was great, I enjoy very much this long, long journey and it was really, really fun.”
      When asked about the next stage of his career, Rossi hinted he could turn to four wheels after spending three decades on two.
      “I love to race with the cars,” he said.
      “Just a little bit less than racing with motorcycles. So I think I will race with the cars from next year.”
      He also said one aim was to compete in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

      Rossi has 115 wins – the second most everCredit: Reuters
      Rossi is riding for the Malaysia-based Petronas Yamaha team but his form has faded, the veteran languishing 19th in the championship with a best finish of only 10th from nine races.
      A showman on the bike and off it, and famed for his post-victory antics, he last won a race in 2017 with Yamaha, in the Dutch TT at Assen.
      The sport and his army of fans will miss him, the Italian still a crowd favourite with worldwide recognition and capable, in pre-pandemic times, of packing out his home races.
      Yamaha hailed him as a living legend and GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in a statement of thanks.
      “I entertain a lot of people on Sunday afternoons,” said Rossi. “One or two hours on a Sunday when they don’t think of anything and just follow my races.”
      The only rider to have started 400 or more races, Rossi has 89 wins from the top category and 26 others from the junior 125cc and 250cc categories.
      He has stood on the podium 235 times in his career, the first coming in Austria in 1996 with third place on a 125cc Aprilia.
      “It is a difficult decision but I think that at the end in all sports, the results make the difference. In the end I think it is the right way,” said Rossi, who could have hired himself to race on with his own, new Saudi-backed Aramco VR46 team.
      That team, using Ducati bikes, already has Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini lined up and the sponsors were keen for them to pair up.
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      He previously was a test driver for Ferrari and could return to four-wheeled racingCredit: AFP

      Rossi joked that he had made himself an offer, and had thought seriously about it, but it was not the right move for just one season and it was time to do something different even if he will remain a paddock regular.
      “I feel that I am a rider or a driver for all life long,” added the Italian, who tested with the Ferrari Formula One team several times between 2004 and 2010, has competed in rallies and started out racing go-karts.
      “I’m a little bit sad to not win the 10th championship,” he said. “I think that I deserve (it) for my level and my speed. I lose two times in the last race. But it is like this. I can’t complain about the result of my career.”
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      Valentino Rossi’s stunning girlfriend Francesca Sofia Novello looks incredible as she models bikini on beach

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      FRANCESCA SOFIA NOVELLO, girlfriend of Moto GP legend Valentino Rossi, has stunned her social media fans with shots of her in a bikini on the beach.The 27-year-old shared the snaps with her 371,000 Instagram followers as she enjoyed the Portuguese sea.

      Novello is the girlfriend of Moto GP legend RossiCredit: Instagram @francescasofianovello
      Novello has a substantial Instagram followingCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello
      Novello posted the pic shortly before Rossi finished 10th at the Mugello Circuit in Italy.
      Seven-time world champion Rossi was thought to have been left devastated when his relationship with former flame Linda Morselli ended in 2016.
      Morselli went on to become the partner of Formula One driver Fernando Alonso.
      But Rossi moved on with Italian stunner Novello in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength with her over the past two and a half years.
      Novello is a former professional underwear model and has been the face on fashion campaigns in Milan.
      Back in April she revealed she was groped as a teenager while working as a Moto GP grid girl.
      Sofia told Vanity Fair: “In reality it is a job like many others, a stage in my career of which I am proud.
      “At 19 it’s not easy to work with people who look at your butt when you pass by, and touch your butt when you take a picture.
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      “Motorsport is a male environment. You have to wake up, you can’t be a smiling goose.
      “I’m for girl power. But it’s part of the game, it does happen.
      “You have to learn to be respected. If you let it go and show yourself to be ‘beautiful and stupid’, you’re done.”
      Rossi has picked up just 15 points in this season’s Moto GP campaign and is well off contending for his first championship title since 2009.
      Novello is rapidly approaching 400,000 followers on Instagram as her profile continues to riseCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

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      Jason Dupasquier dead at 19: Tributes paid to Moto3 star after being hit by another bike in horror crash at Italian GP

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      MOTO3 star Jason Dupasquier has died in hospital aged just 19 after a horror crash on Saturday.The Swiss rider was struck by another bike towards end of qualifying at the MotoGP Italian Grand Prix.
      Moto3 teenager Jason Dupasquier has died after a crash in ItalyCredit: Getty
      He appeared to be hit by Ayumu Sasaki on the track
      He was airlifted to hospital before his tragic death was announced on Sunday morning.
      MotoGP confirmed on Twitter: “We’re deeply saddened to report the loss of Jason Dupasquier.
      “On behalf of the entire MotoGP family, we send our love to his team, his family and loved ones.
      “You will be sorely missed, Jason. Ride in peace.”
      The Swiss starlet’s team, Prustel GP, released a statement that read: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Jason Dupasquier.
      “We’re devastated, and at this time all of our thoughts are with Jason’s family. You’ll be sorely missed and never forgotten, Jason.”
      Fellow racers and fans led the tributes to the teenager.
      MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo stated: “My deepest condolences to Jason Dupasquier’s family, friends and team. Ride in peace Jason.”

      We’re deeply saddened to report the loss of Jason DupasquierOn behalf of the entire MotoGP family, we send our love to his team, his family and loved onesYou will be sorely missed, Jason. Ride in peace pic.twitter.com/nZCzlmJsVi— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 30, 2021

      Formula One star Sergio Perez wrote: “Very sad news! All my prayers with Jason and his family. Rip champ.”
      Carlos Sainz tweeted: “So sad to read this. Rest In Peace champ.”
      Superbike rider Valentin Grimoux stated: “RIP Jason.”
      Manufacturer Ducati wrote: “We extend our hearts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jason.
      “The entire community shares in this loss together. No words can express, but we send our warmest wishes to the motorcycling family in this difficult tragic moment.”
      Medics treated Dupasquier at the trackside on SaturdayCredit: Reuters
      The Swiss rider was airlifted to hospital after being hit by a bikeCredit: Reuters
      The 19-year-old raced in the MotoGP junior series Moto3Credit: Getty
      The No50 rider passed away on Sunday following his qualifying crashCredit: EPA

      Dupasquier debuted in Moto3 last year, taking part in all 15 rounds with the Prustel GP team.
      Already in 2021, he had secured his first top-15 finish and clocked 30 points in the opening five rounds.
      The Italian GP continued on Sunday after a minute’s silence, with organisers stating they were racing with the 19-year-old at ‘the forefront of our minds’.
      Swiss Moto2 rider Tom Luthi had already decided to end his involvement for the weekend and had travelled to hospital to be alongside countryman Dupasquier and his family.
      A minute’s silence was held following the announcement at the Italian GPCredit: EPA
      Riders, staff and more lined up to pay their respectsCredit: EPA
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      Moto 3 ace Jason Dupasquier airlifted to hospital after 19-year-old is struck by another bike in horror Italian GP crash

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      MOTO 3 driver Jason Dupasquier was airlifted to hospital and remains in a ‘very serious’ condition following a horror crash. The Swiss 19-year-old lost control of his bike towards the end of the qualifying session in the Italian GP.
      Jason Dupasquier terrifyingly lost control of his bike at the Italian GP
      He appeared to be hit by Ayumu Sasaki on the track
      Dupasquier first appeared to fall before being hit by his own bike.
      Fellow rider Ayumu Sasaki then reportedly hit Dupasquier before Jeremy Alcoba was also believed to have run over his legs.
      The red flag was immediately raised and Dupasquier received treatment on the track for 30 minutes.
      A helicopter then landed and lifted him to a hospital in Florence where his condition continues to be assessed.
      After the race, medical officer Giancarlo de Filippo provided an update on his welfare and said: “Dupasquier was involved in a very serious crash during the qualifying two for Moto3.
      “The FIM medical intervention team in the vehicles arrived immediately on the site of the accident and after that he was transferred to the Careggi hospital in a hemodynamically stable way to the Careggi hospital in Florence and we will wait for updates from the hospital.
      “At the moment we know that for sure he’s in a very serious condition and as I said we are waiting for updates by them.”
      Sasaki and Alcoba walked away from the incident but Dupasquier’s condition is proving to be hugely concerning.
      Ayumu Sasaki fell off his bike but managed to walk away unhurt
      Jason Dupasquier, 19, was treated on the track for 30 minutes in totalCredit: EPA
      The Swiss ace was then airlifted to a hospital in FlorenceCredit: AFP

      According to Motorsport, doctors in The Careggi hospital will assess his injuries before determining whether he will need surgery.
      Fabio Quartararo finished qualifying in pole position and dedicated his performance to Dupasquier.
      He said: “I want to dedicate this one to Jason who had a really bad crash I hope he is okay.”
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      Superbike king Jonathan Rea driven towards record seventh title by return of fans and family – and potential SPOTY bid

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      REIGNING Superbike champ Jonathan Rea cannot wait to have the British fans and his young family cheering him on from the stands for his shot at a record seventh world title.The 2021 season sets off on Saturday at Spain’s MotorLand circuit with the Northern Irishman the hot favourite to extend his incredible run of titles.
      Jonathan Rea is chasing down his seventh title when the season begins this weekendCredit: EPA
      At 34, Rea says he is fitter than ever despite taking time out over the winter to home school his two young lads – who he jokes have forgotten what his real job is.
      Kawasaki star Rea tells SunSport: “I have a young family at home, two boys, seven and five. Whilst they’ve been at school they’ve still travelled with me throughout my career and I’ve really enjoyed that.
      “Last year I missed having them around to enjoy the good times and also be there in the hard times, so I can’t wait to get them trackside again.
      “I think they forget what I actually do for a living because I just tend to leave the house quite a lot, out of sight out of mind. So it’ll be nice to have my family back.”
      And Rea is already looking forward to having fans back in Superbike with July’s fourth round at Donington set to open its doors for a festival atmosphere.
      The racer says: “I’m crossing my fingers. I know from last year’s experience, it’s just not the same. 
      “The atmosphere in the paddock is so relaxed it doesn’t feel like a race weekend, it’s so quiet and I’ve got a lot of downtime. There’s no paddock show, no spectator interaction which Superbike is all about because it’s so accessible.
      “Sitting on the grid with no background noise from the grandstands, coming back to parc ferme and there’s nobody there – it’s such a weird feeling. 
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      The Rea clan is heading back out on the road in the bid for title No7
      The racer is dreaming of a fresh SPOTY bid after coming second in 2017Credit: PA:Press Association
      “It would be incredible if we can get fans back, especially at Donington which is in July. Hopefully the Europeans can enjoy some nice British sunshine for a change.”
      Rea hopes to chalk up his 100th race win with victory in this weekend’s triple-header in Aragon but insists that fans should expect the unexpected as a fierce chasing pack hunts down the Superbike king.
      He adds: “I feel really good, the pressure’s gone since my first title because that’s all I ever wanted to achieve.
      “There’s so many guys who are going to be there week in week out, it’s just about trying to minimise mistakes and trying to be there at the end.”
      Going seven for seven could push Rea towards a fresh shot at Sports Personality of the Year, following his shock 2017 run to second place that even led to the Beeb changing the competition’s rules.
      He says: “It was incredible just to be nominated. Since then I’ve not been invited back and I’ve gone on to beat every record in Superbike, I’ve dominated the sport for three years after that. So that’s how it is.
      I’m just super proud because SPOTY is such a big event. I got recognised a bit more and wrote my autobiography.Jonathan Rea

      “That was the last year they had 12 candidates and the year after they only picked six. I was the big surprise and they changed the whole setup of the show.
      “I’m just super proud because it’s such a big event, it’s mainstream.
      “Back home it’s a pretty big deal and after that I got recognised a bit more and wrote my autobiography which probably wouldn’t have happened without it.
      “It’s been good to me but I’ve not gone back since!”
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      Pierre Cherpin dead at 52: Dakar Rally rider dies from horror crash injuries while being flown to France for treatment

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      PIERRE CHERPIN has died at the age of 52 following injuries sustained in the Dakar Rally.
      Organisers of this year’s event in Saudi Arabia confirmed the tragic news on Friday morning following his crash earlier in the week.

      Pierre Cherpin was a 52-year-old amateur rally rider competing in his fourth Dakar RallyCredit: Alamy

      The Frenchman was being flown home after suffering serious head injuriesCredit: EPA

      Cherpin was found unconscious during Sunday’s seventh stage across the Arabian Desert.
      After undergoing surgery on ‘severe head trauma’ in the town of Sakaka, he had been placed in a coma before travelling back to France for further treatment.
      The 52-year-old then passed away during a medical plane flight from the Saudi city of Jeddah.
      A Dakar Rally statement read: “During his transfer by medical plane from Jeddah to France, Pierre Cherpin died from the injuries caused by his fall during the seventh stage from Ha’il to Sakaka.

      “The driver crashed at km 178, around 1:00 pm.
      “Doctors found him unconscious when they reached him by helicopter. Taken to Sakaka’s hospital, the medical report revealed a severe head trauma with loss of consciousness.

      Cherpin (left) pictured competing in the 2015 Dakar RallyCredit: Alamy

      The Frenchman had previously spoken of his ‘exciting’ time racing as an amateurCredit: AFP or licensors
      “Urgently operated in neurosurgery, he had since then been kept in an induced coma, his condition having remained stable over the past few days.
      “He was airlifted from Sakaka to Jeddah’s hospital from where he was going to be transferred to Lille’s hospital.”

      The Frenchman was racing on a Husqvarna 450 motorbike in his fourth Dakar Rally.
      His death comes after two competitors lost their lives in the 2020 event, Portuguese motorcyclist Paulo Goncalves and Dutch rider Edwin Straver.
      Already in this year’s race, a number of competitors had suffered injuries including Indian rider CS Santosh who was placed in an induced coma after a crash left him with head trauma and a dislocated shoulder.
      The famous endurance event takes place over 14 days with 322 entrants taking part in a range of vehicles including bikes, trucks, cars and quad bikes.

      I am an amateur, I don’t want to win but to discover landscapes that I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise.
      Pierre Cherpin

      The Dakar statement added: “This 52-year-old entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast, had no other ambitions than to live an adventure, without really worrying about the podium.
      “[He once said]: ‘I am an amateur, I don’t want to win but to discover landscapes that I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise. Everything is exciting: riding the bike, living your passion, getting to know yourself’.
      “The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its sincere condolences to his family, relatives and friends.”

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      Alex Marquez goes flying over motorbike in high speed crash but walks away unhurt in Valencia Moto GP qualifying

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      SPANISH Grand Prix motorcycle racer Alex Marquez was lucky to walk away unhurt after a horrific crash in Valencia during the qualifying for the Moto GP.
      The 24-year-old was thrown over the handlebars of his motorbike at high speed after misjudging a tight turn.

      Alex Marquez is thrown off his motorbike in qualifying for Valencia Moto GP

      25-year-old Marquez face-planted the track and skidded off

      Landing on his coccyx first, he flipped onto his shoulder and then face as he skidded off the track.
      Paramedics were immediately on hand to rush to Marquez’s aide as the incident unfolded.
      Incredibly though, the younger brother of eight-times world champion Alex Marquez was next seen walking away from the track – seemingly unhurt – from the horror moment.
      The Repsol Honda man even returned to the track moments later after being catapulted from his motorbike.

      It’s not the first time Marquez’s life has flashed before his eyes on the track.
      In fact, before the Valencia qualifying round he had suffered two successive crashes.
      The rookie revealed beforehand he was hoping to finish the season as best he can.

      Incredibly, Marquez escaped unscathed

      Marquez returned to the track after his horror accident Credit: AFP or licensors

      “We have a lot of things to improve in view of the season finale,” Marquez revealed.

      “I have to try and have more confidence with the bike and at the same time have a fast lap in qualifying.”
      On Sunday, Marquez will start from 20th on the grid at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. More