Ninth Edition Master Camp Students Get Into Action on Day 1

VR46 Academy riders Andrea Migno and Niccolò Antonelli started their instructor roles at the ninth Yamaha VR46 Master Camp yesterday, encouraging and motivating the young riders at the Campo Scuola running track in Pesaro. Lorenzo Daretti and Marco Belli took over in the afternoon, when the students hit the VR46 Motor Ranch for an eSport lesson and their very first flat track session.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is full-on right from the get-go. The five ninth-edition students started the first day of the programme with a stretching and running session in Pesaro, followed by the Master Camp's first ever MotoGP eSport session with instructor Lorenzo Daretti (Trastevere73) and their first flat track riding Master Class with expert Marco Belli at the VR46 Moto Ranch.

Unai Orradre (aged 17, from Spain), Bahattin Sofuoglu (aged 17, from Turkey), Humberto "Torquinho" Maier (aged 15, from Brazil), Fenton Harrison Seabright (aged 19, from the UK), and Iker Garcia Abella (aged 17, from Spain) had an early start because they had to make their way to Pesaro for a gym session.

The students' Master Camp training started with a stretching and running session at the Fisio Gym, led by trainer Carlo Casabianca and VR46 Academy riders Andrea Migno and Niccolò Antonelli. The sun was out with the temperatures rising, so after a good number of laps the five hopefuls couldn't wait to 'cool down'.

The riders had to 'refuel'. A nice meal at the Bar, Ristorante e Pizzeria Da Rossi in Tavullia and ice cream for dessert was just the ticket. When you work hard, you also get to play hard, so the riders made a quick stop at the new children's playground right next to the restaurant before heading to their second destination.

Up next was a brand-new addition to the Master Camp programme. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73) had travelled to the VR46 Motor Ranch to introduce the Master Camp students to the world of MotoGP eSport. The double World Champion and double Vice-Champion started the class with some info on how to work with professional gaming equipment like the ones MSI Gaming had generously prepared for the Master Camp. The eSports expert then went into detail on how the MotoGP video game can be used as an effective tool for memorizing track lay-out, focusing training, and strategic thinking (concerning track and weather conditions, tyre management, best corners to overtake, strongest assets of the bike, etc.).

When the young riders had completed their first eSport lesson, there was some time to look around the VR46 Motor Ranch. They were soon greeted by three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli, also known as 'King of the Sands' at the Master Camp. He told them all they needed to know about the correct riding position and all the points they would be focusing on during their very first flat track session.

It was then time for the riders to hop aboard their YZ250F bikes and learn by doing. The students practised dirt bike control, slaloming between traffic cones, and sliding through corners. Even though he originally wanted to focus on the basic techniques, Belli saw the riders progress so fast that he decided that they were ready to take on parts of the oval.

"This was their first try riding the YZ250F bikes on dirt. They were getting to know the conditions of this track and started getting used to riding at this mega location", said Belli.

"We started from zero, slaloming around cones to get a feel for the right body position, the interaction of the hands with the handlebars, feet on the pegs, and step by step we increased the speed in the turns with different angles. We saw a clear reaction and progression from these guys. That was so good, so we went immediately inside the little oval at the VR46 Motor Ranch, where we have much more speed and can work more on throttle and body position control. So, we are really satisfied about the first day and look forward to Day 2."

Comments

UNAI ORRADRE
The training session on the morning of Day 1 was very good, since I think that this part of training in this sport is undervalued, and for me it is a very important point of improvement.
Visiting the VR46 Motor Ranch was somewhat of a strange sensation because I really wanted to visit it. It has been like an explosion of emotions. It is a unique and amazing place!
Before riding at the ranch we started with an eSports session. I believe that eSports will be very important in the future, not only for motorcycles but for the world in general. So, I want to thank Trastevere for all the advice he has given us to improve.
Marco Belli is 'a star of the flat track', I was impressed when he rode the bike to teach us. It was my first time practising this discipline and thanks to him I have learned a lot. And this is only the first day! I really want to continue improving.

BAHATTIN SOFUOGLU
The running session in the morning was very good for me. We warmed up and that makes me more vigorous in the morning, so I enjoy it. It actually motivated me to do this routine of stretching and then running every day when I return my country.
I was very excited that we went to Valentino's ranch after that because it was the first time that I got to see a motor ranch flat track, and it was just so vast.
We first went inside the clubhouse, and I learned how to make a good bike set-up during the eSport session with Trastevere73. He showed us his skills, which were impressive. Then I saw Marco Belli on the bike, and he has so much knowledge and passion. He shared all his experience with us. It was the first time that I tried flat track. I learned a lot of things and there are more flat track sessions coming. I'm very happy to take this experience on board and so thankful to all our coaches and the staff who are helping us.

HUMBERTO MAIER
Not everyone will understand this, but the morning workout session was amazing. I learned a lot! Good preparation and stretching makes all the difference. It actually made me enjoy running, and I didn't want to stop training. But on Day 1, I'm still happy we did because we got to visit the best place I've ever been in my life afterwards. I will never forget anything that I saw at the VR46 Motor Ranch!
I always played the official MotoGP video game, so the session with Trastevere was easier for me! But it was still fun to play with all the riders. A good 'warm up' before we went outside to do some real-life flat track riding. Marco Belli taught me a lot, he explained every detail with great teaching techniques, and he has a lot of patience with us too!

FENTON HARRISON SEABRIGHT
It was great to be able to train with some of the best riders in the world. I'm happy Migno and Antonelli joined us. It also made a change to train with some good weather, and I can't wait till the next training session.
It was mind blowing and a dream come true to visit the VR46 Motor Ranch. It's an incredible place to visit and I felt so honoured and privileged to be part of it.
The eSport session was great. Playing alongside other riders and alongside a two-time eSport World Champion is good fun, and I'm looking forward to learning more and more about how Trastevere does it. It was my first time doing flat track, so it was a new experience for me, and there was no one better to show us how it's done professionally than Marco Belli. I am really looking forward to learning more from him and the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp coaching team in the next few days.

IKER GARCIA ABELLA
We started the Master Camp training with a running session. It was a good experience for me because I had never run there before, and we had Andrea Migno and Niccolò Antonelli there for support.
In the afternoon we went to Valentino's Motor Ranch, and it's very impressive. That was in my honest opinion the best experience so far. I learned something new during the eSport sessions because this year I hadn't played the new MotoGP video game. So, I enjoyed this session a lot because I got to play with my mates.
After eSport we started our flat track training with Marco Belli. It was a very good session because Marco is a great rider and teacher. I've learned a lot about Flat Track, so that makes me look forward even more to riding at the Motor Ranch tomorrow.