Latest news with #AleixEspargaro
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
From grid to peloton: MotoGP rider Espargaro set for pro cycling debut at 35
Aleix Espargaro thought he had retired from Grand Prix racing last year but the 35-year-old is now leading a hectic double-life as he prepares to race a MotoGP bike this weekend before trading horsepower for pedal power at the Tour of Austria. The Spaniard hung up his leathers after two decades of Grand Prix racing last year but he had no plans of putting his feet up having joined Lidl-Trek earlier this year in an ambassadorial role while joining Honda as a test rider. But Espargaro now has to contend with a whirlwind schedule, set to climb aboard the factory Honda machine for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Assen before swiftly pivoting to professional cycling just 10 days later. "I am really delighted to be able to help Honda and work with the factory team this weekend in Assen. Lots of riders dream of being in the factory Honda team," Espargaro said in a statement. "To be able to do this now is a real surprise and pleasure – even if it is temporary ... I have good memories at Assen and it will be very interesting to see the Honda there." Espargaro's unexpected return to racing comes as he fills in for Luca Marini, who remains sidelined after a testing crash in Japan. The appearance in Assen follows earlier wildcard rides at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. He will then swap his MotoGP leathers for the cycling jersey at the July 9-13 Tour of Austria, where he will be part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development squad. Cycling has been Espargaro's passion for years after he hopped on the bike to stay in shape and recover from injury. He also befriended pro cyclists before participating in training camps with Lidl-Trek. "I've grown a lot as a cyclist and learned many things in these six months. I'm feeling good, and I really can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world," he said. "It will be a nice challenge, but I have no expectations for my cycling debut."
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
From grid to peloton: MotoGP rider Espargaro set for pro cycling debut at 35
FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Qatar - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - March 9, 2024 Aprilia Racing's Aleix Espargaro celebrates after finishing third at the sprint race REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/File Photo Aleix Espargaro thought he had retired from Grand Prix racing last year but the 35-year-old is now leading a hectic double-life as he prepares to race a MotoGP bike this weekend before trading horsepower for pedal power at the Tour of Austria. The Spaniard hung up his leathers after two decades of Grand Prix racing last year but he had no plans of putting his feet up having joined Lidl-Trek earlier this year in an ambassadorial role while joining Honda as a test rider. But Espargaro now has to contend with a whirlwind schedule, set to climb aboard the factory Honda machine for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Assen before swiftly pivoting to professional cycling just 10 days later. "I am really delighted to be able to help Honda and work with the factory team this weekend in Assen. Lots of riders dream of being in the factory Honda team," Espargaro said in a statement. "To be able to do this now is a real surprise and pleasure – even if it is temporary ... I have good memories at Assen and it will be very interesting to see the Honda there." Espargaro's unexpected return to racing comes as he fills in for Luca Marini, who remains sidelined after a testing crash in Japan. The appearance in Assen follows earlier wildcard rides at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. He will then swap his MotoGP leathers for the cycling jersey at the July 9-13 Tour of Austria, where he will be part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development squad. Cycling has been Espargaro's passion for years after he hopped on the bike to stay in shape and recover from injury. He also befriended pro cyclists before participating in training camps with Lidl-Trek. "I've grown a lot as a cyclist and learned many things in these six months. I'm feeling good, and I really can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world," he said. "It will be a nice challenge, but I have no expectations for my cycling debut." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
From grid to peloton: MotoGP rider Espargaro set for pro cycling debut at 35
June 25 (Reuters) - Aleix Espargaro thought he had retired from Grand Prix racing last year but the 35-year-old is now leading a hectic double-life as he prepares to race a MotoGP bike this weekend before trading horsepower for pedal power at the Tour of Austria. The Spaniard hung up his leathers after two decades of Grand Prix racing last year but he had no plans of putting his feet up having joined Lidl-Trek earlier this year in an ambassadorial role while joining Honda as a test rider. But Espargaro now has to contend with a whirlwind schedule, set to climb aboard the factory Honda machine for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Assen before swiftly pivoting to professional cycling just 10 days later. "I am really delighted to be able to help Honda and work with the factory team this weekend in Assen. Lots of riders dream of being in the factory Honda team," Espargaro said in a statement. "To be able to do this now is a real surprise and pleasure – even if it is temporary ... I have good memories at Assen and it will be very interesting to see the Honda there." Espargaro's unexpected return to racing comes as he fills in for Luca Marini, who remains sidelined after a testing crash in Japan. The appearance in Assen follows earlier wildcard rides at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. He will then swap his MotoGP leathers for the cycling jersey at the July 9-13 Tour of Austria, where he will be part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development squad. Cycling has been Espargaro's passion for years after he hopped on the bike to stay in shape and recover from injury. He also befriended pro cyclists before participating in training camps with Lidl-Trek. "I've grown a lot as a cyclist and learned many things in these six months. I'm feeling good, and I really can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world," he said. "It will be a nice challenge, but I have no expectations for my cycling debut."
CNA
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- CNA
From grid to peloton: MotoGP rider Espargaro set for pro cycling debut at 35
Aleix Espargaro thought he had retired from Grand Prix racing last year but the 35-year-old is now leading a hectic double-life as he prepares to race a MotoGP bike this weekend before trading horsepower for pedal power at the Tour of Austria. The Spaniard hung up his leathers after two decades of Grand Prix racing last year but he had no plans of putting his feet up having joined Lidl-Trek earlier this year in an ambassadorial role while joining Honda as a test rider. But Espargaro now has to contend with a whirlwind schedule, set to climb aboard the factory Honda machine for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Assen before swiftly pivoting to professional cycling just 10 days later. "I am really delighted to be able to help Honda and work with the factory team this weekend in Assen. Lots of riders dream of being in the factory Honda team," Espargaro said in a statement. "To be able to do this now is a real surprise and pleasure – even if it is temporary ... I have good memories at Assen and it will be very interesting to see the Honda there." Espargaro's unexpected return to racing comes as he fills in for Luca Marini, who remains sidelined after a testing crash in Japan. The appearance in Assen follows earlier wildcard rides at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. He will then swap his MotoGP leathers for the cycling jersey at the July 9-13 Tour of Austria, where he will be part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development squad. Cycling has been Espargaro's passion for years after he hopped on the bike to stay in shape and recover from injury. He also befriended pro cyclists before participating in training camps with Lidl-Trek. "I've grown a lot as a cyclist and learned many things in these six months. I'm feeling good, and I really can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world," he said.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Franco Morbidelli slams Aleix Espargaro after "unfair" Silverstone MotoGP crash
In the opening lap of MotoGP's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Aleix Espargaro and Franco Morbidelli came together in an incident that led Espargaro to retire from the GP. Time has done little to cool tempers, and Morbidelli says he 'could've been much harsher' in his criticism of the Honda rider. It happened early, during the first lap of the initial start, when the Italian and the Spaniard found themselves toward the back of the pack after Morbidelli botched his getaway from tenth on the grid. Advertisement There, the Honda test rider lost control of his prototype and ended up colliding with the VR46 rider. Fortunately for Morbidelli, oil that spilled from his own Ducati led the marshals to wave the red flag and this allowed him to hop onto his second bike and rejoin the British GP. A fourth-place finish for Morbidelli brought some consolation but did little to erase what had happened with Espargaro – whom Morbidelli even accused of having something personal against him. The Catalan rider responded directly in a social media post, using sarcasm to make it clear that, obviously, crashing and taking Morbidelli out had not been part of his plan. Aleix Espargaro, HRC Test Team Aleix Espargaro, HRC Test Team Honda Racing Honda Racing Advertisement In Aragon, ten days after that heated exchange, the Italian didn't backtrack and instead doubled down on his stance. Morbidelli argued that, in his view, the incident exposed the poor conduct of the Spanish rider. 'I hate hearing that I was being harsh, because I could've been much harsher. The time that's passed hasn't changed my perspective one bit,' Morbidelli said, before detailing the reasons why, in his opinion, the older Espargaró brother should rethink how he approaches race weekends now that he is no longer a full-time rider. 'What happened to me on Sunday at Silverstone was unfair. That's not how a test rider should behave when racing against someone who's fighting for important points. That's regardless of whether Aleix made a mistake — which he did,' Morbidelli added. 'That mistake says a lot. First, it means a test rider isn't fulfilling his main role: gathering data for the factory. Even more so if, like in his case, he spends the whole weekend riding two seconds off the pace, only to crash on the first lap. Advertisement 'And I had to pay the price for all that with a fractured foot. That's why I could've gone much harder on him. But I simply said it seems like he's got something against me—because we've had our clashes in the past.' Despite the incident, which fractured the talus bone in his left foot, Morbidelli hailed his "amazing" recovery in the race. The Italian fought back to finish fourth on the road and, in the final laps of the race, even battled fiercely with championship leader Marc Marquez. The Spaniard ultimately came out on top and took the final podium spot. Read Also: Franco Morbidelli hails "amazing" recovery to fourth in MotoGP British GP MotoGP British GP: Marco Bezzecchi takes surprise win for Aprilia Advertisement 'If I try to see the bright side of what happened, it's also true that I had a terrible start, which put me in that situation – and that led to the red flag, which in turn allowed me to restart with my second bike and finish fourth,' Morbidelli said. 'I don't know if, starting that far back, I would've been able to run that kind of race.' To read more articles visit our website.
