The Master Camp Students Step Up Their Game on Day Two

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp's Alfonso Coppola (19), France's Enzo De La Vega (17), Finland's Kimi Patova (15), Ukraine's Mykyta Kalinin (18), Brazil's Renzo Ferreira (15) and the Netherlands' Robert Schotman (18) returned to the Fisio Gym and the VR46 Motor Ranch yesterday to pick up where they had left off the day before, and they took their training to another level.

For the morning session the students were joined by Francesco Bagnaia, who leads the Moto2 Rookie of the Year standings, and his fellow Moto2 rider Luca Marini. They started off the session with some stretching, but soon headed outside, eager to make the most of the morning sunshine. The riders' stamina was put to the test by the VR46 Academy riders as they put in five consecutive laps on a running track.

After completing the intense workout, the Master Camp riders were rewarded with a visit to the Official Fan Club Valentino Rossi Tavullia, where its Vice President Flavio Fratesi showered them with gifts.

With renewed energy, the protégées arrived at the VR46 Motor Ranch, eager to build on the basic skills they polished up on the day before and it showed in their performances.

"On the second day of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp we focused on getting into corners, how to back the bike in, the right line and the correct position of the bike when you enter the turn. These are really key points, so if you are able to do that, you have done already 50% of the work, because it makes it that much easier to exit out of the corner, but it's really difficult to do it right", explains three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli.

"It's a matter of balance and body position on the lean angle. The more you know your body, the easier it gets, because you get more and more used to reacting quickly whilst on the bike.

"It was a tough day, but we could see the riders make a lot of improvement, so I'm really happy with that. Some of the riders surpassed my expectations, because they showed us some great skills. I'm looking forward to working with them some more later this week, together with the VR46 Riders Academy. It's going to be a lot of fun!" 

Training together with riders from the highest level of road racing is a terrific opportunity for a promising young racer.

"Yamaha Motor Europe established its bLU cRU project two years ago with the main aim to help young Yamaha talent progress to various racing classes both in MX and road racing, all the way from the bottom tier to the top", shares Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.'s Marketing Division Manager Paolo Pavesio.

"Six of the Yamaha riders that are currently participating in the WorldSSP300 championship, a new class for the WorldSBK championship, have been helped by the bLU cRU programme to step up from their respective national competitions to an international championship level."

"As a part of the bLU cRU family, Yamaha supports the riders but all Yamaha riders also help each other in a similar way to how the VR46 Riders Academy and its racing experts support the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp riders.

"The VR46 Academy riders and the instructors' investment in these riders throughout this week is invaluable. From this point of view, being able to give these six up-and-coming riders the opportunity to follow this intensive five-day programme is a big added value to the bLU cRU support they receive at the WorldSSP300 race weekends. This is something very special that only Yamaha and VR46 Academy together can offer!

"The Master Camp should serve as a boost to help them develop their racing skills, gain new knowledge and affirm their motivation, and hopefully will allow them to progress their racing careers even further. I am sure all the riders will have a unique time during this week, but I am also impatient to see them back at the WorldSSP300 championship to appreciate the results of what they have learned."

4th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp: Review Day 02

4th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp: Rider Interview - Renzo Ferreira

Comments

Alfonso Coppola
"It was very exciting for me to train together with Luca Marini and Francesco Bagnaia. I used to race with Luca in the past, so it was nice to see him again and join him for the gym session. In the afternoon, I had a great time at the VR46 Motor Ranch. I feel like I'm improving and riding better and better, so I really look forward to continue training at the ranch later in the week. "

Enzo De La Vega
"The second day was really cool. It was a lot of fun to ride with Marco Belli, he is very enthusiastic and helpful. I've learned so much from him yesterday. I really enjoyed the riding session and I'm looking forward to the next riding session at the VR46 Motor Ranch because it's a fantastic experience."

Kimi Patova
"The second day at the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp was better for me than the first. We improved our riding and body positions and the results were clear to see: we went faster and faster as the day went on. To make so much progress in such a short time is very nice, I liked the experience a lot and now I'm looking forward to starting day three."

Mykyta Kalinin
"It was a perfect second day. I think we all learned a lot and made some big steps compared to the first day. Thanks to the help of Marco Belli, I now almost feel like a flat track rider! The only thing I need is some more physical power, because that is very important to be able to hold the right body position and respond quickly on the bike."

Renzo Ferreira
"In the morning we had a gym and running session, which was really fun. Especially because we got to have fun with Francesco Bagnaia and Luca Marini. In the afternoon we had lunch and signed up at the official Valentino Rossi fan club, before we went to the flat track. We started riding and we saw improvement each time we went out, so it was a really good day, I learned a lot."

Robert Schotman
"The second day was better for me than the first, though the sessions were actually a bit more challenging. In the morning we did some running and I was able to finish the task well, so I'm happy about this. In the afternoon, at the VR46 Motor Ranch, I also saw some improvement. I already learned a lot on day one, but yesterday I was able to take in even more and get closer to the other guys. In the final race I was able to have a nice battle with Alfonso, so I'm very happy about this, because I really had a lot of fun with him. "