Success can only be achieved with a kind of pioneer spirit and the repeated use of three tools: failure introspection courage Soichiro Honda
The Thistlegorm: Impressions of photos from OLivier Jude and Sylvie Laurent you will store in your mind
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P.
+ racing spirit LCR TEAM COLOURS STEFAN BRADL OFFICIAL LOGO
+ cool LCR MERCHANDISING COLLECTION ( Available Online )
Let’s share the joy of sportive appeal! Honda NSC50R LCR Edition
PLAY
The NSC50R LCR Edition scooter brings that feeling right into your hands. The limited edition scooters with Stefan Bradl’s Honda MotoGP sports look are now available at Honda dealers in Germany. More at www.honda.de
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58
motogP raCe highLightS - round 16
74
FaShion & StyLe
28
motogP raCe highLightS - round 15
BiKe & PaSSion
46
LiFe StorieS 6
88 oCt-nov 2013
INTERACTIVE SUMMARY
motogP m moto gP raCe highLightS - r round 17
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vintage emotionS
112
motogP raCe highLightS - round 18
Daniel Bodin the worLd oF redBULL
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Women 1st. FaShion & StyLe
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Grand Prix Of Malaysia motogP raCe highLightS - round 15
28
The Fastest man ever LiFe StorieS
46
Grand Prix Of Australia motogP raCe highLightS - round 16
58
Carl Cox Garage BiKe & PaSSion
74
Grand Prix Of Japan motogP raCe highLightS - round 17
88
alex Chailan and david PiolĂŠ the raCing SPirit in one Shot
102
Giuseppe Visenzi vintage emotionS
104
Grand Prix Of Valencia motogP raCe highLightS - round 18
112
Submarine Photo-Art art
128
Green Light drive reSPonSiBLy
138
128
art INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 7
ediTorial diving in
Enrico Barbieri editor in Chief
at the end of his dramatic jump from the edge of space, 38 kilometers above the desert of new mexico on october 14th 2012 Felix Baumgartner said something that was even more incredible than what he had just accomplished, making us wonder for the second time in a row that day: “when you’re up there, on top of the world, you become so humble that you don’t think about breaking any record any more. you just think about going back home safe” we wanted to meet him in order to treasure his words. we wanted to have him here with us not to forget how little and insignificant we are. to teach us the humility of the man who proved to be free and alive by choosing to dive in and not to have fear. Those like me who didn’t see neal armstrong walking on the moon back in 1969 have been highly rewarded now: we’ve seen Felix landing on earth.
«That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.» neil armstrong
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RACING IN STYLE. MILLE MIGLIA MILLE MIGLIA GMT
S P O N S O R S I N C E 1 9 8 8 A ND OFFI CI A L TI MEKEEP ER OF THE MILLE MIGLIA RAC E
passion recommends OUTBACK
ALUMINIUM
SERIES
2013 | 35th ANNIVERSARY
X.01 TOURER
Key noTe
Phil Baker international motorcycle Federation Commercial director
to be inspired or to gain inspiration is a stimulation of the mind. to see something and allow your emotions to reach out and say, “i want to do that”, or “i want a part of that”. Through inspiration, so much has been achieved and will continue to be achieved in the future. inspiration really is a life changing or world changing opportunity! why do men seek to go higher, further and faster? is it the goal of breaking the existing record? The fame? The thrill? Perhaps it is a little of all of these, but these elements would not be in place if the athlete had not first been inspired by someone or something to want to go and break such records. my first experience of inspiration in motorcycles, was watching the race on tv at Silverstone between Barry Sheene and Kenny roberts sr. it so inspired me that i never looked on bikes in the same light again. Suddenly, i had new heroes in a new sport who inspired me to such a level that i decided there and then that i wanted to be involved in this sport as well. many years later, i have had the privilege to work with Kenny roberts, as well as many other inspirational characters within our fast and competitive industry. all because of some inspiration given to me 30 years earlier. i feel blessed to be surrounded by so many charismatic and inspirational people on all levels. at the Fim, i work with people who literally live the sport and whose passion to the sport is overwhelming. at events, we are surrounded by the volunteers, whom without, we wouldn’t have such sporting events. These are true heroes who’s passion and love for the sport have them taking their free time to work and assist in the smooth running of events. had they not been inspired by the sport or someone in the sport, then they would not be involved and we wouldn’t be able to run such events. within the two wheel industry, i have watched as people like Lucio have devoted their lives to live the dream and be the owner of a world championship team in moto gP. That takes incredible persistence and enthusiasm to succeed at all costs - not just on the track but off it as well. again, all of this was borne through some inspiration somewhere that he grabbed and was determined to make a reality. The people mentioned in this magazine are true inspiration. They have given us so much to admire and to support. They are the ones that have allowed us to be able to sit back in the comfort of our own homes in awe. But then these individuals would not have done such acts of greatness if it hadn’t been for someone or something, just lending them the initial inspiration to do it in the first place. read on and be inspired!
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 11
Theworld ofredBull PLAY
DANIEL BODIN
E
xperience the World of Red Bull with this professional snowmobile freestyler Daniel Bodin! This record-breaking jump with a snowmobile down the vertiginous ski jump in Sweden is seriously nuts and awesome! Watch this best action sports clip and fly alongside with Bodin, launching into a jump that carried him 67 meters! Photographer: C. Van Hanja/ Red Bull Content Pool www.inspire-lcr.com/danielbodin
W 1 FASHION & STYLE
omen st. text: Tanja Haydn - photo: Stefano Padovani
Behind every great man there’s a great woman…
T
hroughout the years there have been many people who have influenced and changed racing into the exciting event it is today. The list consists of not only the riders and men involved in MotoGP, but also of exceptional women working behind the riders. Beautiful and skilled, they work with the same brave capacity of men around the paddock even though they are in the minority. Those women are eager to travel every part of the world, careless of working overtime as long as they can be a part of the whole and earn a place in the team. They are keen to discover different cultures and nationalities, places beyond any imagination they would never have had the chance to visit some
day. In this male-dominated field of motorcycles, women gain appreciation and respect by the excellent work they contribute every day. Women who swop their high-heeled shoes for sneakers, feminine clothing for sporty outfits and at the end of a working day didn’t lose their charm and sensuality. You’ll see women working in different fields, fields like photography, Events Organization, Media Center, Cook or even Marshals. Without the sacrifice of every single person in the paddock and behind the scenes, MotoGP would not have the same fondness and intensity. And the most important, what all have in common, is the passion for this extraordinary world!
Lidia Palumbi Cristina Gallo Philip Morris Hospitality Unit Hostess ITALY
Martina Cordi Team Came IRP Chef Assistant ITALY
Stephanie Polk COTA Security USA
Sonia Prado Journalist SPAIN
Katja Onder MotoGP fan AUSTRIA
Susie Saldanha DORNA Managing Director Assistant SPAIN
Frine Velilla MotoGP Media Officer Communications SPAIN
Mary Spies Ben Spies’s (former MotoGP rider) mother USA
Elisa Pavan LCR Press Officer & Logistic Manager ITALY
Carolina Mico DORNA CEO Personal Assistant & Office Manager SPAIN
Ana Ezpeleta DORNA New Tracks Development Manager SPAIN
From every corner of the world women like Silvia, Susie, ana, alyssia, mary etc... have found their place in a men’s world and they give their inimitable support to the world of motorcycling
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W
omen 1 st is a tribute to the women populating, living and working in the paddock. As described in the introduction of the book this is a world created for the men but it won’t be the same without the presence of the women. The decision to pick different women and stories has been taken to enhance the variety of the women roles and the binomial “engines and women” do not entirely describe the association between the two. Women 1 st wants to give room to the women supporting and standing the men every race weekend all around the world. Women 1 st gathers 65 women portraits and “handwritten” comments to honour their passion and commitment for the world of motorcycling. For more information contact Stefano Padovani Website: www.racingsoul.net Email: info@racingsoul.net Mobile: +39 347-4673888
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 27
For Dani Pedrosa it was his first win since Le Mans round in May and also second consecutive at Sepang circuit. Riding from zero in Aragon to hero in Malaysia, the Spaniard made an extra effort to thank his family, team and fans for their support. While Lorenzo had only one goal in his mind before the Malaysian GP – finishing ahead of Marquez – his race did not went according to plan. Marc scored second place, extended his lead over Jorge to 43 points and could win the title during the next round in Australia! Lonely fourth went to Valentino Rossi and fifth – after beating Cal Crutchlow on the last lap – to Bautista.
“honestly it was not a heavy crash but i was unlucky. The handlebar of my bike immediately dug into the plastic grass and lifted a section of it up, then unfortunately my right leg connected with it and got stuck� - said Stefan about his crash. Examination in Clinica Mobile revealed that Bradl suffered a transversal fracture of the right medial malleolus. To do not lose time, he underwent an operation in hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday evening. During the surgery doctors inserted two screws to knit the bone together. On Sunday he started physiotherapy and in the afternoon came to Sepang circuit to visit his team. Then, with his team manager Lucio Cecchinello, Stefan watched the race from the GIVI dedicated grandstand.
scenes Behind the
36
what a stifling race for the motogP rookie marc marquez who finished the malaysian gP in second place with the hanging tongue after 20 laps – and what a special guest at the LCr honda garage: the famous dutch engineer Jan thiel (the 2-stroke engine genius) – unfortunately Stefan Bradl can not join his colleagues on track after the incident and his crew wants him to come back as soon as possible INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 37
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari
there’s a new speed limit at Sepang race track: 60km/h means a speed fine for all the motogP riders. get your money ready guys! ops dani…you missed the mouth: or you intended to have a shower with the leather on?! – Stefan winks to his fans from the hospital in Kuala Lumpur and his reliable assistant oscar puts his leathers back in the crate: let’s try in australia!
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari 38
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 39
scenes Behind the
events
40
LCr team Ceo Lucio Cecchinello visiting hCmC after motogP 2013 at Sepang international Circuit, malaysia. despite the absent of Stefan Bradl, the marketing Promotion activities planned by givi vietnam was an amazing event with a bike trip at ho Chi minh City. a routine stop at the honda Showroom at Quang Phuong tran hung dao and then a private meeting with all the motogP fans, who waited for Lucio to arrive, to take autographs, photos, and Q&a at the showroom photo: GIVI Archive
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 41
to end this exciting visit in the best way givi members and motogP Fans celebrate the givi brand (vietnam has truly created one of the foremost “motorcycle cultures” in the world and is now recognised as the fourth biggest motorcycle market in the world) with a special Passion Party held in hồ Chí minh (Saigon) photo: GIVI Archive 42
malaysia
WORLD FLAVOURS
Y
ou can enjoy Malaysian cuisine which consists of mixed culture like Malay, Chinese and Indian. A stimulant but mild plate pleases your tongue with reasonable prices. The Nasi (means “rice”) Goreng, the Mee (means”noodle”) Goreng are typical Malaysian cuisine and I recommend you to try both. The Satay Malaysia which is grilled beef or chicken on skewers. The taste is sweet and you can’t stop eating these delicious sticks. Don’t forget to try a shaped ice with Mango pureé on the top. text: Sayaka Miyazaki
Nasi Lemak
Satay Malaysia
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 43
Mee Goreng
LIFE STORIES
text: Massimo Visconti - photo: Mattia Zoppellaro, Red Bull Content Pool
FeLiX BaUmgartner iS a modern and Better eQUiPPed iCarUS who CLimBed the StratoSPhere. he PUShed the BoUndarieS LiKe PrometheUS, he riSKed hiS LiFe For SCientiFiC KnowLedge and eventUaLLy BeCame the “ÜBermenSCh”
1’357.64
Km/h
named after an Austrian physicist Ernst Mach so it makes complete sense that two Austrians together, Baumgartner and Red Bull joined forces to complete this mission. “Since I was a kid I always wanted to see the World from above” says Felix. “I loved to climb up roofs and trees to observe the Earth from a different perspective and dream about flying. That’s how I got involved into skydiving and since I first stepped outside an aeroplane at age sixteen I was completely addicted to it. Sky became my comfort zone.” Red Bull Stratos is the event who gathered the greatest audience ever to watch it live since the advent of Internet. Millions of people staring at the 43-year-old man, who spent four minutes and twenty seconds in free fall before opening his parachute. “Me and all my team have achieved something unique. The mission to the edge of space is a world-class, multistage, scientific flight test program. We’ve been successful and unconsciously, we have inspired a huge amount of people from all over the world. It’s a joy for me as an athlete to see this happening as well
as for the rest of team as scientists, physicists and doctors to meet young boys and girls and read their letters telling us how this had an impact on their lives”. Luckily kids not only want to become actors and rockstars anymore. They dream about making this world a better place and what is Felix dreaming of now? “To become an ambassador for the United Nations and keep on inspiring younger generations.” The Austrian guy who wished to fly eventually became the first man to pass the speed of sound. Red Bull sure puts wings on you but can also make you Supersonic!
®
Dic 2013 - Gen 2014 www.menshealth.it
sEsso quANdo AmArE è uN duro LAvoro!
NATALE
scuoLA di muscoLi
EroTismo soTTo L’ALbEro
EfficAci E forTi subiTo
25
coNsigLi pEr divENTArE ricco
LA cuciNA dELLA scANdiNAviA soLo pEr uomiNi vEri
grAZiE ELisir di LuNgA viTA numero 152
€ 3,50 In ITALIA - mensILe
t
FeLix
L’uomo
Baumgartner
deLLe steLLe NATo pEr voLArE
he portraits of Felix Baumgartner shown on these pages are a courtesy of men’s health italy published by edisport. the italian magazine features Felix on the front cover of his decemberJanuary issue. to find more pictures of him and read the full interview please visit www.menshealth.it
Felix got his BASE Jumper number 502 tattooed on his back. He has been skydiving for more than 25 years now.
r
ed Bull Stratos skydiver Felix Baumgartner, who is a true motorcycles fan, was guest of honour at circuit ricardo tormo in valencia. he spent the weekend with LCr honda team manager Lucio Cecchinello and rider Stefan Bradl. Baumgartner is currently training to compete in the 2014 edition of the 24 hours nürburgring gt racing event. as his new challange will be to show his skills driving a racing car, while in the spanish paddock, the “fastest man of the planet” was willing to discover every single aspect of the motorsport world. we bet Lucio and Stefan shared some good tips with him on how to deal with the track.
hold on..! PLAY
Felix Baumgartner
B
e a witness of the Red Bull Stratos and live in the pointof-view of Felix Baumgartner! His approximately 10 minute Skydive gives you extra data shown in the video, such as supersonic speed of the air, G-force, the altitude and his flabbergasting high heartbeats, that during the spin achieve impressive peaks! Reaching 1,357.64 km/h, Baumgartner broke the sound barrier of his descent, including three other records! Mission completed! www.inspire-lcr.com/felixaction
pitted on lap ten, while his main rival Marquez, #93, came to his box to change bike one lap later. Furthermore, when Marquez was exiting pit-lane, he touched with Lorenzo in the first corner. It was clear Marquez broke the rules and a few minutes later he was excluded from the race. Since then Lorenzo easily came to win for the sixth time in 2013, beating by only a few seconds Pedrosa in second. Valentino Rossi beat Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista in a thrilling battle for the last step on the podium. Fastest CRT rider was Randy de Puniet in tenth, while Aleix Espargaro already scored enough points to win the CRT title for the second year in succession – still with two races to go!
“There was a very small chance for me to ride here and we knew it would have been much better in Japan but i wanted to try anyway. of course it was painful and even the mobility of the ankle is not perfect yet: this is the reason why i have been declared unfit and i agree with them. i had injections and painkillers this morning but i was too slow on the track and this is too risky for me and also for the other riders. The Clinica mobile staff made an excellent job and i could jump on the bike only five days after the surgery so i want to thank them because they are helping me to heal quickly. i am frustrated but i have done the impossible to be back here: now we will concentrate to be as close to 100% fit as we can for Japan” - said Stefan on Friday afternoon at Phillip Island circuit.
scenes Behind the
66
what a beautiful rainbow on the ocean track where the inimitable Casey Stoner was inducted as a motogP Legend and, for the occasion, he released his own biography: even adriana and the sweet alexandra Stoner look happy to be back on track for a while – do not get confused: Stefan is not wearing a typical aussie Ugg boot but he keeps his “funny” mood despite the fracture: Bravo Stefan! INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 67
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari
Three MotoGP Aussie Legends excite the national fans at the Island GP: Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner have been unique ambassadors of the motorcycle racing worldwide – the nature and the wild life of the Aussie territory is always so impressive ‌ but maybe Marc and his colleagues prefer the curves of the Aussie umbrella girls?!
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari
the ocean vicinity is something very particular for the aussie gP but it seems that danilo Petrucci is not a fan of the ocean breeze: brrr…. So cold in here! – whilst the umbrella girls are used to the island temperature and they display their “personal fairing” – what’s Stefan and his crew doing there? maybe the tram is late?! photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari 70
ausTralia
WORLD FLAVOURS
A
ustralia is the third largest continent in the world (11 million square kilometres), and the food culture is mixed in multitudinous restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars. Also you can find modern, traditional, exotic and homespun. The land is abundant for access to seafood, which significantly influences Australian cuisine. In the Southern states of Victoria where we have a race, wine and food reflect the region’s traditional and heritage. text: Sayaka Miyazaki
Burger! Burger! Burger!
Enjoy Aussie Beef !!
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 71
Fabolous Seafood!
Proud Sponsor of LCR Honda MotoGP Team.
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Our lever protection, from Racing to your bike. Enjoy the video on rizomaofficialtv More information on www.rizoma.com
BIKE & PASSION
text: Massimo Visconti - photo: James Pipino
reStoring a motorCyCLe iS a Commitment oF yoUr time. SUPerStar dJ and ProdUCer CarL CoX iS a weLL Known motorCyCLe enthUSiaSt CoLLeCting oLd and new BiKeS. Let’S taKe a LooK at hiS garage
E
ver since the acid house explosion of the late 1980s changed dance culture forever, Carl Cox has been a prominent dancefloor filler packing out raves everywhere from Ibiza to Australia, from the underground clubs of London to the vast fields of Eastern Europe. Since first flying to Australia to do his dj sets, Carl Cox fell in love with the people and the place so much that he eventually bought a house 40 km south-east of the Melbourne city centre in a suburb called Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula. The Austalian summer fits perfectly in his calendar, after spending so many months in Europe and America playing all the major venues around the globe as well as his historical residency at Space in Ibiza, he can take some time off in Frankston and enjoying what he loves the most: Motorcycles. Carl Cox owns some fifty more bikes and what is peculiar about his love for two wheels is that his 150.000 records collection lies in his garage while lots of his favourite machines sit comfortably in his living room and we love that. “Most people see me behind the decks instead of the handlebars. But I’ve been into my motorcycles since I was five years old. I love all sort of bikes” he told us in an interview we featured on the October-November 2012 issue of Inspire. A portly 51-year-old DJ may appear on the surface as an unlikely candidate to hit the high road, but his collection is a real obsession. His first real superbike was a Reptile Honda. That was the bike that changed it all for him in the sense of riding and what a bike can actually do, its power, its controllability. “The way bikes keep developing there is not much more they can do for me where I am at with my collection now, so I have actually started going backwards in my collection. It’s become a bit of an obsession. I have come so far with these bikes and into this industry.” Cox even sponsored a race team -Ducati, back home in the UK in the 848 Challenge – “I just enjoy bikes in general. Getting on two wheels has meant a lot to me. I always felt that there was something missing in my life all the years that I hadn’t been riding, and it has come to a point where my life has become complete due to my love of motorcycles. I enjoy the freedom, the open road, all the clichés!” His trusted mechanic is just a few kilometers away from his australian hideout and Carl Cox spends a lot of time there whenever he can. There must be something magic that connects house music and motorcycles. The four to the floor beats, the deep bass sounds and the kick drum have so much in common with the rich and strong roaring tone of an engine. The throttle is like the needle on the record and the exhaust is like the PA playing out some loud raving tunes. Riders are like DeeJays and the audience on the fields is ready to rock the party. Play your best record Carl, we’re all ready to roll!
Carl Cox got into motorcycles since he was five years old. In his fifty plus collection he has lots of vintage bikes as well as new ones
His house in the suburb of Frankston, just outside Melbourne is the perfect place to keep his beloved motorbikes safe
Carl Cox right outside his mechanic’s workshop
g r Ara o s n po itle S ogp.com T d ot an nda netm o a l H p . w LCR n ww o eam T P r toG nso f Mo Spo o l a n i otio O ff i c e em 365 h n t i us etW with Plan e v i L
P on G
Last year podium finisher at Motegi circuit, Alvaro Bautista, drove this time through finish line as fourth. Stefan Bradl, who in Japan came back to racing after breaking an ankle two weeks earlier, won a solid fifth place. A lonely sixth place came to Valentino Rossi, who was in second place right after the start. A mistake in turn 11 on lap one saw him back to fourth, while the same error one lap later sent him deeply on the gravel and he came back in eleventh. The Italian fought till the end to score sixth position. Colin Edwards for the first time in 2013 was the best CRT finisher in tenth.
Stefan was pleased with his race result and said: “it has been a “crazy” weekend for everybody but, at the end, we had a dry race and i am happy about my result. i was more cautious compared to the other guys but i took a good start from the third row. at some point during the race Bautista caught me but i could feel some pain in my ankle due to the movement of the bike. actually my ankle is at 85% and for me it was a long and tough race so we must be pleased with this 5th place.”
scenes Behind the
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who is the lucky girl that the 9 times world Champion is craving for? – Former motogP successful riders Loris Capirossi and Franco Uncini meet the Japanese fans whilst randy mamola tries to imitate the funny Japanese characters populating motegi paddock – if you eat Japanese noodles for one week it’s better to do some gym…. right vale? INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 97
it’s nice to see Stefan Bradl back on the pit lane with his fans after the incident occurred in malaysia whilst rossi is performing “singing in the rain” – Fast food diet for marc marquez who is tasting the Spanish bocadillo on the Japanese soul – the same soul where Jorge Lorenzo celebrates his 200th gP gaining an impressive victory for yamaha
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INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 99
Before the Japanese gP there was a gathering at the Spanish embassy in tokyo as marquez, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Bautista, Julian Simon and hiroshi aoyama, as well as dorna Sports, were made Sporting ambassadors of the Spain-Japan dual year, marking 400 years of exchanges between the two countries – in the mean time somebody else was playing with rubber ducks in the puddles of the motegi circuit. photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari 100
Japan
WORLD FLAVOURS
J
apan is one of the richest countries for foods. From big cities to small villages, you can find any kind of restaurants and most of them are above average from cheap price to Michelin three stars. I recommend you to try local foods and Japanese homespun, which people eat daily because the Japanese “Washyoku� which you are used to eat in your country is not always VERY Japanese! Try to visit and to shop in the basement of a department store! Colorful foods and beautiful decoration welcomes you! You can enjoy not only its taste but also artistic foods with reasonable prices! text: Sayaka Miyazaki
Japanese BBQ style
Japanese famous Sushi
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 101
Ramen, Japanese noodle
THE RACING SPIRIT
IN ONE SHOT
w
e work for Jorge Lorenzo, this picture was taken in misano and we call it : “road to the victory.”
PhotograPher: alex Chailan and david Piolé main JoB: Sports and Fashions Photographer nationaLity: French hoBBieS: Photography Camera: Phaseone and Canon
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 103
Giuseppe Visenzi VINTAGE EMOTIONS
text: Giuliano Donati - photo: Archivio privato Visenzi
GIUSEPPE VISENZI WAS BORN IN BRESCIA ON JANUARY 22, 1941. TODAY HE IS A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR WHO THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO FOUNDED HIS OWN COMPANY GIVI A WORLD LEADER IN MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES. WHEN HE WAS YOUNG, HOWEVER, HE SET UP A SMALL WORKSHOP IN THE BASEMENT OF HIS HOUSE WHERE HE USED TO PREPARE HIS OWN BIKES FOR RACING. IN THE SIXTIES HE SCORED MANY WINS, INCLUDING WORLD ONES, AND ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PRIVATE DRIVERS OF THE DECADE
visenzi began his racing career in the late Fifties, running first with a Laverda 100 and immediately after with a single-overhead-cam mondial. his first major race, the Castell’arquato-vernasca, dated back to 1958: on that occasion he seized victory with his first mondial. after racing in lower divisions and junior categories, from 1962 onwards visenzi made his debut in the senior one and placed third in the 125 cc italian championship riding a ducati. with that same ducati 125, a second-hand bike, he also got his first points in the world Championship, finishing 6th in the Belgian gP and competing with the best riders of the time, such as mike hailwood, Luigi taveri and Jim redman. Starting from 1963 visenzi, who-
se headquarters were still in the small workshop in via San Faustino in Brescia, rode an honda 125, together with a bigger aermacchi ala d’oro 250 and then replacing them both at the end of Sixties with various other bikes: 125 montesa, Bultaco tSS 250 and yamaha 250 and 350, with which he gained prestigious results both at national level (second place in the italian 125 in 1964 in 1967, in the italian 250 in 1970 and in the italian 350 in 1967) and worldwide (third overall in the 250 category in 1969). in 1963 he took part to several international races winning in Lyon, France (125), in Beveren waas, Belgium (125 and 250), in Portorose, yugoslavia (125) and in Laxenburg, austria (250). he also scored a very
INSPIRE, AUGUST 2013 104
Giuseppe Visenzi at the age of 15 (1956) riding his first ever motorbike before the beginning of his career as an official racer
Giuseppe Visenzi riding his Yamaha 350cc in 1969 in Finland: he finished 3rd overall in the world championship
The iconic daredevil pulling a wheelie on his epic HarleyDavidson XR-750
significant fourth place in Spa-Francorchamps in the 125 category. in italy, for the 125 category, visenzi arrived third in imola and in Sanremo. That’s what he told a specialized magazine of the time: “This year i have made big sacrifices and i managed to buy a honda 125. it cost me a fortune. i would prefer an italian bike but where could i find it? By this i want to express my regret for the fact that our industry has not thought about building racing bikes for private drivers, so as to raise a good lot of private drivers to face foreign bike manufacturers, which instead are grabbing the best drivers and the most promising youngster… after having many ups and downs in racing due to the conditions of my bike, in 1963 i decided to buy a good one from honda, that manufactures a 125 racing bike that seems to fit perfectly my needs. it did cost a lot but it was worth it: since then my economic conditions have improved and i managed to snatch some good prize; moreover, i had the joy of winning abroad. Slowly i am balancing my budget! after racing for 4 and half years i still run a deficit. The bike cost me 3,200,000 lire, but selling my two old bikes only got me 450,000 lire while i earned only 1 million and 50,000 lire in prizes.” with the same honda and aermacchi bikes in 1964 visenzi gained many other placings and scored a second place overall in the 125 italian Championship with honda. visenzi also seized the 11th place in the isle of man Lightweight tourist trophy and the fourth place in the gP of nations at monza. That’s what he said about his participation in the tt: “i raced on that circuit once, just to decide i would never do it again. it aims to kill pilots just to raise money for the organizers. There are corners you can’t understand, they seem second-gear corners and instead they require a fourth gear or vice versa. you can’t learn a 60 km circuit. you have to get up at 3.30 am since practice starts at 5 am, not to mention private drivers, who have to fix and tweak the bike by themselves; moreover you can’t properly sleep since the sky is never totally dark.” at Jicín near Prague, in Czechoslovakia, visenzi won the 125 race and paired with mandolini he also won the Six hours of monza driving, on that one occasion, an official aermacchi. 1965 was even more intense, with victories in mouscron, Belgium (250), and tubbergen, the netherlands (125), but it was even more especial thanks to the excellent results in the senior italian league (fourth in modena in 125, second in Sanremo in the 125, fourth in enna in 250, second in vallelunga in 125, and so on) and in the world 108
Championship (fourth in the 250 at the nürburgring, sixth in the 125 in rouen for the French grand Prix, sixth in assen in the 125 and so on). 1966 too was a good year for visenzi, who took part in fewer world races but intensified the activities on the international circuits: he won the 125 class in Piešt’any, Czechoslovakia (250), scored a fourth place in Salzburg, austria (125) and a third place in Chimay, Belgium, in tubbergen, the netherlands and in Portorose, yugoslavia, while in vienna he arrived second in the 125 and 350 categories. he achieved excellent results also in italy, with a third place in modena (250), Cervia (125) and vallelunga (125), italy. 1967 was even better. visenzi raced with the montesa bike of villa brothers scoring a second place in the 125 italian championship. he arrived second also in the 350 championship, riding an aermacchi. among his main achievements there was a second place in vallelunga (italy), a third place in Sanremo (italy) in 125, a second place in vienna in the 250 and 350, a seventh place in the dutch gP in 125, a second place in nova gorica (yugoslavia) in 250 and 500, a seventh place in the grand Prix of nations in 350, a third place in Pergusa (italy) in 125 and in Zelnice (yugoslavia) in 350. in 1968 he managed to purchase a 250 cc twin-cylinder yamaha and won again in Ziesdorf (austria) and Zelnice (yugoslavia). he also achieved good positions both in the italian and in the world league: fourth in the 125 in the gP of netherlands and fifth in the 250 in the german gP. Finally, in 1969, with a pair of quick yamaha, visenzi raced successfully in the world Championship, confirming his position as one of the best private drivers at international level, while in italy he ended the season sealing a fourth place in the 250 championship and a fifth place in the 350, although the bike he rode in this category arrived just in time for the last two out of five races. 1969 went in the books as his best season in the world Championship, as he finished third in the final ranking of the 350 cc, behind giacomo agostini and Silvio grassetti, thanks to two podiums in Jarama, Spain and in Finland, as well as a fifth place in hockenheim, germany. in 1970, when he had already decided to stop racing, he took sporadically part to some races in italy with a yamaha 250, achieving a second place in the italian league plus a second place in Cesenatico (italy) and in Prievidza (Czechoslovakia). That same year visenzi started his entrepreneurial activity, founding first motomarket visenzi, in via Piave 113, Brescia, and then, in 1978, givi, a manufacturing company of accessories for motorcycles and scooters.
Giuseppe Visenzi posing in front of his first shop in Brescia in 1970 together with Bruno Birbes (former Dakar rider)
Giuseppe Visenzi shared his passion for the motorcycling competitions initially with the wife Wilhelmina and then with Vincenzo and Hendrika (his sons) who are part of the GIVI company
notably clash came after one-third distance, when Pedrosa took the first place in turn one, while Lorenzo re-passed him in the next one, sending both wide. Then Marquez came to lead, while Pedrosa dropped to fifth. Soon after, Lorenzo retook the lead over Marquez and opened an advantage to win his eighth race of the season. Pedrosa recovered to second place, while Marquez was third. For Marc it was the most important third place in his life, as he has become MotoGP World Champion, the first rookie champion since Kenny Roberts back in 1978! #93 – now the youngest ever-premier class title winner - played it safe for the whole race and in the end won the title by just four points over Lorenzo!
“First of all i want to thank my team for their excellent job during the season and, for the first time in my career, i could finish the race in valencia so i am happy to keep working with this crew in 2014. The race itself was quite tough as we expected because we have been struggling with front-end issues for the whole weekend. actually it was not a bad race but we lost a bit of time in certain areas so we will focus on those points from tomorrow during the testing days. my best moment of the season was Laguna Seca podium because we did an incredible job the whole weekend whilst the worst moment was the injury in malaysia but i can say that, even in that case, Lucio and the guys were incredibly professional making my recovery easy and fast. The 2013 season is over but we will start working on 2014 in less than 24 hours…” - said seventh-placed rider in the World Championship, Stefan Bradl.
scenes Behind the
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the Comunitat valenciana race week end has been marked by several important events: first of all the world title achieved by the sensational marc marquez, then the divorce between valentino rossi and his historical Chief engineer Jeremy Burgess, then the last race on the Borgo Panigale bike for nicky hayden and the fastest man on the earth Felix Baumgartner experiencing the motogP ambience with LCr honda team. INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 123
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari
it’s time to put another number on the bike for the new world Champion marc marquez who replaced his lucky number 93 with the amazing number 1 – and even his Boss Shuhei nakamoto can wear a special team t-shirt while the fans of the Spanish rider are freaking out on the grandstands: unforgettable season!
photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari 124
INSPIRE, OCT-NOV 2013 125
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the second qualified motogP racer Jorge Lorenzo wants to celebrate his great season as marquez’s antagonist with a specialedition t-shirt: 8 victories is an incredible achievement for the mallorca’s rider – the 2013 exciting season came to an end with 3 Spanish riders winning the 3 classes titles and with this beautiful sunset on the valencia circuit but the 2014 is around the corner … stay tuned!!!! photo: Milagro - Mirco Lazzari
spain
WORLD FLAVOURS
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alencia is well known as the birthplace of the Paella, which is a globally famous Spanish dish! The Valencia paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck, land snails), beans and seasoning. You can also enjoy Arroz, a traditional rice dish baked in the oven and usually containing sausages and potato amongst other ingredients. Coca is a kind of pizza or pie which can be both, sweet or savoury. The Valencia orange is a sweet orange which has been drenched in sunlight. text: Sayaka Miyazaki
Sweet Valencia Oranges
Chicken orange
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Tapas
ART
A mystic shot of the 126m long Thistlegorm that lies between 17 and 30m depth with a decline of about 45 degrees
T
he steamship S/S Thistlegorm was a British cargo ship that was sunk in the Gulf of Suez, south-east of the reef Scha’b ‘Ali, by German bombers on her only fourth trip during the Second World War on October 6, 1941. The wreck carried military equipment like Land Mines, Shells, Ammunition, Weapons but also Bedford Trucks, Armoured Cars, BSA-Motorcycles, Trailers, Aircraft and Aircraft parts, Radios, Rubber thigh-boots, two sets of railway engines and more. It is the most important and well known diving site, which is achievable for scuba divers in the Red Sea/Egypt and at the same time a war memorial. On June 2, 1941 the ship departed for her last voyage from the port of Glasgow destined for Alexandria, Egypt, with a crew of 39 men. Because of German and Italian naval and air force activity in the Mediterranean Sea, the Thistlegorm sailed as part of a convoy via Cape Town, South Africa, before heading north up the East coast of Africa and into the Red Sea. On leaving Cape Town, the cruiser HMS Carlisle joined the convoy. However due to a collision in the Suez Canal, the ship could not transit through the canal to reach the port of Alexandria and
Sylvie Laurent amongst the beautiful and breathtaking Flora and Fauna of the Sea. To admire other beautiful submarine impressions visit:
www.phoctopus.com
One of the BSA motorcycles still in place inside the Thistlegorm which is now home to a variety of marine life
instead moored at Safe Anchorage in September 1941 where she remained at anchor. The HMS Carlisle anchored also there. Allied troops in Egypt during September 1941 and German intelligence suspected that there was a troop carrier in that area and two Henkel HE-11 aircrafts were sent from Crete to find and destroy the troop carrier. One of the bombers discovered the ships and targeting the largest ship, two bombs were dropped on the Thistlegorm on October 6. The bomb and the explosion of some of the ammunition stored, led to the disaster and sinking of the Thistlegorm with the loss of four sailors and five members of the Royal Navy gun crew. The survivors were picked up by HMS Carlisle. Most of the cargo remained within the ship, but parts of the loading, as well as the two railway engines, were blown off and lay apart from the wreck. Around 15 years the Thistlegorm rested at the bottom of the Gulf of Suez, until no other than the French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau rediscovered the ship in 1956 by using information from local fishermen. He raised several items from the wreck, including a motorcycle, the captain’s safe, and the ship’s bell. Since the position of the vessel was not released, it fell into oblivion. The wreck was rediscovered in 1991 by a group of German sport divers for a systematic search. Since then it is probably the most popular wreck in the Red Sea.
A brave soldier on one of the camouflaged military motorbikes Norton 16 H
This beautiful shot got the Favorite Award of the Jury at the International Underwater Contest of Monaco on last October 2013
Sylvie Laurent as a floating mermaid
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY ONLINE INSURANCE in collaboration with Lucio Cecchinello PRESENTS
GREEN LIGHT
the motorBiKe iS FUn. danger iS not oUr BUSineSS photo: Dainese Archive
“
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he motorbike is not for everyone.” How many times have you heard this sentence? How many times have you been disheartened by risks? Fortunately, it is not always so. And won’t be so. Since the advent of mandatory helmets and disc brakes in the Eighties, motorcycle safety has taken giant steps, and can further evolve. ABS, more efficient tires, more powerful brakes, traction control and many other things have made the use of bikes increasingly universal, contributing more than any other marketing initiative to the diffusion of bikes on the market. But it is not enough: safety also depends on what the biker wears. And on this matter things have evolved too and the research and development still proceeds, with the best Italian companies at the forefront, Dainese, in particular, that in the last ten years has worked on a project innovative to say the least and crucial for bikers’ safety in the event of a fall: D-Air. Tested on the track by the best riders from the MotoGP, Valentino Rossi among others, DAir is the first type of automotive airbag dedicated to those traveling by motorcycle. The mechanism is similar to that of the airbags inserted from the Nineties onwards in the passenger cars, although in this case it is installed in the biker suit (D-Air Racing) or jacket (D-Air Street) with a “smart” system not connected to the bike itself, which detects the danger and imminent fall inflating a special airbag around the biker’s body. It is a highly evolved protective technology that from now on will be applied to a large range of clothing, just as it happened
FEATURING
with the now widespread padding included on almost all jackets and motorcycle suits. The “electronic” airbag designed by the Venetian firm required something like 5,000 hours of testing and 150,000 km of actual use and provides a sophisticated set of accelerometers and sensors that in the event of an impact or crash at more than 7 km/h inflate an airbag shaped to wrap and protect the biker’s neck, shoulders, collarbones and the top part of the chest and back. All this by inflating a Dainese-patented 3D airbag in just 45 milliseconds, and without needing wiring with the bike. This system does not generate gas or other hazardous substances but works thanks to a rechargeable lithium polymer battery and it weighs only 650 grams, so it does not hinder the rider movement, and it is available in different sizes to fit any biker. DAir obviously does not substitute the normal padding, back padding in the first place, and instead it just works in synergy with them. D-Air protects the rider also from the most critical injuries, as the excessive inclination of the head relative to the neck and the impact that may exist between the helmet and the collarbones in a crash with rolling. In general, however, DAir is up to 85% more effective in reducing the impact forces on the body compared to conventional padding. The only – temporary – downside is its high purchase price. A problem that certainly – as it has happened for the car airbag – will be solved in due time, as this device will spread on the market. Possibly together with our beloved bikes!
team LCr is extremely grateful to all the friends and brands involved in our projects. with your hard work, support and passion, you keep on making us bigger as a motogP team. your efforts also helped us in giving birth to an amazing magazine, we’ll be forever thankful. Life is a race, let’s get inspired. we keep on running!
COLORI PANTONE: Pantone YELLOW Pantone REFLEX BLU
Anteprima - Logo prespaziato Intra CUSTOMER: Sig. Bottini - Intra-Intek
FROM BRIDGESTONE MORTORSPORT
Data:. 24/02/11
INSPIRE
CrediTs Editor In Chief ENRICO BARBIERI enrico.barbieri@lcr.mc
Coordinator LUCIO CECCHINELLO cecchinello@lcr.mc
Art Director Emanuele Vallorani graphic@lcr.mc
Production Director Errico Gasperoni graphic@lcr.mc
Contributors Elisa Pavan, Tanja Haydn, Massimo Visconti, Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska, Giuliano Donati, Sayaka Miyazaki Special Contributors Phil Baker Photography James Pipino, Milagro, Gigi Soldano, Tino Martino, Mirco Lazzari, Mattia Zappellaro, Fabio Alberti, C. Van Hanja/Red Bull Content Pool, Stefano Padovani, Olivier Jude, Archivio Privato Visenzi, Alex Chailan and David Piolé, GIVI Archive, Dainese Archive, InterviewHub, GettyImages, Shutterstock Publisher Steve Burgess
steve.burgess@clearsightpartners.com
Published by Clearsightpartners Ltd 121 Longmead drive Sidcup - Kent da14 4ny © 2013 Clearsightpartners Ltd and LCr - x racing s.a.m. all rights reserved
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The value of life can be measured by how many times your soul has been deeply stirred Soichiro Honda