12TH YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP RIDERS SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS AT POMPOSA CIRCUIT

On the fourth day of the 12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, the riders were joined by Andrea Migno for a morning Pilates class at the FISIO GYM. In the afternoon, Manuel Gonzalez guided them at the Circuito di Pomposa, where they showed their craft on YZF-R3 bikes.

The 12th-edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp students got in some hot laps on Day 4. They started the day with Pilates at the FISIO GYM. The class served as a warm-up for the afternoon training session where the protégées went full gas on YZF-R3 bikes at the Circuito di Pomposa.

VR46 Academy rider Andrea Migno took it upon himself to prepare the Master Camp pupils Eduardo Burr (Brazilian, aged 16), Dawid Nowak (Polish, aged 14), Marc Vich (Spanish, aged 16), Krittapat Keankum (Thai, aged 18), Thurakij Buapa (Thai, aged 19), and Shoma Yamane (Japanese, aged 15) for a sweltering day of track action. He introduced them to Pilates, while training expert David Zuccaroli gave the students some extra stretching exercises before they headed to the Circuito di Pomposa.

When the riders arrived at the track in the afternoon, they found their YZF-R3s already nicely lined-up. But first they had a quick lunch, followed by a rider briefing on the circuit's lay-out with instructor Manuel Gonzalez.

Used to riding YZF-R3 bikes in the 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship, the Master Camp students quickly started the track action. They completed a couple of practice sessions before it was time to put their skills to the test in a Superpole. Vich set the fastest time, ahead of Nowak and Keankum who finished in second and third place respectively.

Now 'full-time Master Camp coach' Gonzalez remarked: "It was a nice afternoon, especially because this time we were at a bigger track. That's better for these riders because it's something they are more used to, and they are also familiar with the YZF-R3 bikes.

"I was riding on a YZF-R6, but I still tried to show them the correct lines to ride on a YZF-R3. This track was new also to me, so it was fun to explore it together. I could see them try to adapt and find the right lines, and I saw them learn a lot. I really enjoyed it, and I hope they did too."

Comments

Eduardo Burr

"The gym session was good. I have to say that Pilates is not my thing, but it was good to experience it. Then we went to the Circuito di Pomposa. I struggled a bit to get comfortable on the bike. I'm quite tall, and this bike is smaller than I'm used to because of the seat placement. I had to find out where to put my knees. But overall, I still enjoyed getting to know a new track."

Dawid Nowak

"The gym session was nice. First, we did some cardio: ten minutes of walking. Then we did some stretching and we also tried Pilates. It's not for me, but it was a new experience, and I like that. Then we arrived in Pomposa. We were riding bikes like our R3s, except they were more like a road-bike version. It was pretty difficult, but I managed to get second place in the Superpole, so I'm pretty happy about that, even though my lap wasn't perfect."

Marc Vich

"In the morning of Day 4, we went to the gym. I started with some stretching, that was nice, but then we did Pilates... I thought Pilates was going to be relaxing, but no! It was such a thorough work-out, especially for my back. It might be the best thing I've ever tried, because my back could use this. After a long drive, we arrived in Pomposa, and then we rode the R3 bikes. These were mostly standard bikes, but I had a good feeling with it right away. There was good grip, and I enjoyed the session a lot. I got first position again, and I'm very happy about it!"

Krittapat Keankum

"I felt good about exercising in new ways. I've never done Pilates before, but I like it. I think it's very good to increase your body's flexibility. I think I will keep doing Pilates because it will help me improve my movability when riding the bike. I felt great riding the R3 bike today. Though this Circuito di Pomposa was bigger than Jeepers Kart, it was still a small circuit compared to some of the circuits we race at. I had to learn lots of techniques to adjust to it. I like this type of circuit because it's very good for training. Thanks to this session, I improved my riding, and I was able to increase my speed when riding alone in the Superpole."

Thurakij Buapa

"In our second gym session of the week, I got to know more variety of exercises. I wasn't familiar with Pilates, but it's so good! I can understand why it's popular amongst the VR46 Academy riders because I feel like it helps with bone alignment and such. The Circuito di Pomposa is fun to ride at. It was nice to ride on a YZF-R3 again, especially at a, to me, new circuit. I like it because it's a 'field-like' track that Thailand doesn't have, and getting to know new circuits is always fun. The Superpole at the end of the day provided a bit of extra fun and required a lot of concentration."

Shoma Yamane

"There were some exercises I usually do and some I never did before. Regarding Pilates, it was my first time, and now I know Pilates could be a way to relax tension when something happens, for example when my shoulder is blocked. To be honest, today's session in Pomposa was not my favourite. The tires were the same as usual, but I found it very difficult to manage the bike. The track is not difficult per se, but maybe because I could not manage the motorcycle as well as I wanted to, I never got a good feeling at this circuit. During the Superpole, I made four braking mistakes, so I couldn't make good time. I want to improve my braking technique and do better on Day 5."