ANDREA IANNONE VICTIM OF A BAD CRASH

BRADLEY SMITH ON THE SEVENTH ROW

A tenth of a second kept Aleix Espargaró from gaining direct access in FP3 to the second qualifying session today, a tiny gap that bears witness once again to how competitive the MotoGP starting grid is on the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. The Spanish rider then went through Q1 boldly, finishing with a time of 1'37.625 that earns him the first spot on the sixth row.

His garage mate, Andrea Iannone, had a bad crash on turn 11 in the early stages of FP4. Although X-rays showed that there were no fractures, the rider was declared unfit to race due to severe pain to his left foot. The situation will be assessed and updated with a check-up tomorrow morning.

Bradley Smith will start from the seventh row tomorrow, doing his best time ever on the Jerez track while continuing his usual development work on the Aprilia RS-GP again today.


ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"This morning, we worked hard with the goal of going through to Q2, missing it by just one tenth of a second, after which I gave it my all in Q1 as well, but finishing in the top 12 just wasn’t in the cards. We cannot be satisfied with our starting position, but in compensation, during FP4 we found some good solutions for the race, both in terms of setup and in terms of tyres. Tomorrow I will try to start well and maintain a good pace all the way to the finish with the goal of getting into the top ten. We expect higher temperatures tomorrow, so I will probably put on the harder compound tyres which I feel better with."

BRADLEY SMITH
"Yesterday evening we did everything we could to relieve the pain and it was good to get back on the back feeling almost none. Having said that, we did not want to take too many risks today. In any case, my time in qualifying is the best I've ever done here at Jerez, so I am pleased even if I would have liked to have gotten below 1’38”, and we had the potential to do it. In the warm up session tomorrow we’ll try to use a mix of two different configurations we tested today in order to keep improving for the race, where we’ll be able to battle for points."

Sterling silver jewellery that shines like chrome looks great with leathers and makes a great conversation starter. Wearing a pendant like art tells people something not many people know about you. Or what are you most passionate about?

Amoreantos is an upcoming jewellery design duo called Abbi and Tim from the Midlands, UK. They think that their 925 sterling silver pendants will bring character to your purchase.

Amoreantos’ latest design called Exélixi meaning ‘evolution’ reminds us of how we learn that love is not always a place of safety and security. This pendant is currently available on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform for projects where a funding target needs to be raised to complete the project. Their campaign has already raised 100% funding in the first 8 days. Amoreantos is offering the pendant as a reward for backing the project at a fraction of the suggested retail price. Exélixi will then be available in their online shop which can be found on The Biker Guide.

Link here to the campaign for Exélixi on Kickstarter.

Abbi said, “Our sketches are perfected in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, 3D printed and reproduced through the lost wax cast process in small casting runs in the famous Birmingham Jewellery Quarter (UK). Weighing over 7.78g, this pendant will be hallmarked by the London Assay Office. It’s all or nothing funding, and we have already reached our goal which we would like to maintain, so don’t miss your opportunity to get this awesome pendant.”

www.amoreantos.co.uk

Mountain biking is a great sport. It gets you riding like the wind, rolling over rocks, shooting up hills, descending near-vertical downhill sections, enjoying the enchanting outdoors all the while getting some fitness in. No matter what your mountain biking goals are, you have to get the basics. 

Here are some tips to start you off;  

BE FLEXIBLE, BALANCED AND WELL POSITIONED

It’s easy to stay on your saddle in a smooth flat trail but when riding a rough terrain especially descending, staying on the saddles can be a tall order. You should position your seat properly to help you get in the correct body position. Normally while descending, your weight should pivot around the bottom bracket to ensure you channel your weight through the back of the bike to counteract angle of a drop. You should be very flexible to be able to handle any unforeseen situation that may arise along the trail.

BRAKE TECHNIQUES

Braking seems quite simple; you squeeze the levers and the bike slows down. That is just the half of it. Braking should be consistent and controlled. Don’t slam the brakes when you want to stop but rather do it softly and proactively. Be specific in your breaking points. Braking over obstacles will send your bike sideways and result in an accident. Learn to break effectively and a good point to note is that most braking power comes from the front brakes.

INVEST IN A QUALITY BIKE

Find a bike that fits your style and the terrain you want to tread. Be sure that the bike is set up to fit your body structure. A bike that is too big or too small will be hard to control for the rider. Mountain bikes should be robust and with Bikester Mountain Bikes, no terrain will be hard to beat.  The bike should be well maintained and clean. Before every ride do a quick check to make sure everything is in working order. Test the brakes, gears and make sure the tires are inflated according to specifications.

ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD

Ride the trail with your eyes before you start cycling. Where you look significantly affects where you go. This is called target fixation. Scanning the trail properly will help you anticipate obstacles and changes in the trails. This will allow you to ride faster and more confidently while having fun at it. Always remember to remain calm and relaxed. Tensing up will make your bike rigid and uncontrollable leading to accidents.

SHIFTING GEARS

Mountain biking involves hills and slopes and it’s good to know how to shift gears properly. The gears on a mountain bike are intended to give the rider a smooth pedaling rhythm in unpredictable terrain. The gears might seem complex but once you learn how to shift gears on a mountain bike, it will be a less intimidation process. You should anticipate the trail ahead so that you can prepare to gradually change the gears beforehand instead of abruptly overcompensating which might cause the chain to slip from position.

TRAIL ETIQUETTE

Mountain biking is often done in forests, trails or roads shared with other riders, hikers or even animals. Therefore, only ride the trails open to mountain bike use. Always be courteous and responsible rider and be in control of your bike. Yield a right-of-way to cyclists travelling uphill and slow down when approaching hikers. Progression is key. It’s tempting to take a huge leap in a day but its paramount to move from a small slope to a big one gradually and you will be less likely to injure yourself. Learn the skills of using a mountain bike and slowly put them in practice each day.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Once you have mastered your local trails, step out of your comfort zone venture forth into other regions. New trails and challenges make mountain biking more exciting and sharpens your skills. This is actually the main key to becoming a well-rounded biker.

Featured on the cover of THE BIKER GUIDE 8th edition booklet.