Who wants to go two weeks without riding a motorcycle? Nicky Hayden took a spin around the newly paved Indy track during the MotoGP Summer break. Alvaro Bautista, on the other hand, decided to flex a different motorcycle muscle.
On the two week break between Indy and BRNO, Rizla Suzuki rider decided to do some dirt riding in California.
Bautista, who had to fight through injuries this season, was riding at the MX track as part of his physical training. Not a bad way to rehabilitate...
"I've been relaxing since the last race with a few days at the beach and now I'm training hard and looking forward to Brno," Bautista said. "The last two races have been very positive and I think as a whole we are in the best position we have been since I've been in MotoGP.
"We need to continue with the progress we've made recently and the results will start to come. I had an injured back at Brno last year and couldn't ride at my best, but I'm 100% now and will be pushing from day one. I hope John has a good weekend and enjoys himself; it will be good to have him there as it will give us the chance to push each other along. I'm sure we can work well together to get a good setting for the GSV-R and it will be nice to have a team mate again! I'm excited about the Brno race – I will be giving my maximum!"
Bautista, who has been the lone rider for the Rizla Suzuki squad this year, will be joined by John Hopkins this weekend at BRNO. Hopkins raced in the World Superbike last month, is a regular competitor in the British Superbike series, and will now compete in his third Championship series in three weeks when he joins the Suzuki team for the 11th round of the 2011 MotoGP season.
"This is my third race in as many weeks and I am really looking forward to it," Hopkins said. "It's been very busy and doing these three different Championships back-to-back is quite a challenge, but I am really excited to be back in amongst the big boys at MotoGP.
"When I rode at Jerez earlier in the year I'd had no real 2011 racing experience so it was a bit 'in at the deep end'. It was also the first time I'd raced with my wrist working properly since the operation; up until then it was still healing and the few times I'd been on a bike in 2011 had been for pre-season tests and the filming shoot at Qatar. Now I feel that I have gained more confidence and I'm riding better than ever. I'm really pumped that the race is at Brno because it is one of my favourite tracks and I hope I can go well. I'm under no illusions that it will be tough, because the other guys have been racing on MotoGP bikes all season and I'll need some time to get up to speed with the bike and tyres, but I'll be giving it all I've got to try to get a good result for the team."
