The 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy gets underway this evening (Saturday 24th) and as is now a well-established practice the newcomers are first away for their speed-controlled lap.

High profile riders to look out for include Danny Webb, Martin Jessopp and Peter Hickman who are scheduled to get their first closed road lap of the course shortly after 18.20 (GMT). Sidecar newcomers will also get their first Mountain Course laps in when their speed controlled lap gets away at 18.35. Experienced ex-competitor Ian Lougher, a ten time TT race winner, and TT rider liaison officers John Barton and Richard 'Milky' Quayle are due to show the riders round.

Tonight's timed session is due to start at 18.50 with the Lightweight class. Interest is undoubtedly growing in the SuperTwin class, which was introduced in 2012. The returning Keith Amor and Ryan Farquhar, representing Farquhar's SGS International/KMR Kawasaki outfit get their first Mountain Course laps for three and two years respectively, while the newcomers across all classes will also get their first chance of an officially timed lap in the same session.

James Hillier, Michael Rutter, Gary Johnson, Guy Martin, Dean Harrison, Lee Johnson, Michael Dunlop and Ivan Lintin, who has the honour of carrying the number 1 plate in the Lightweight class, are all expected to be race win contenders and will be looking to get some quality laps under their belts.

The sidecar qualifying session will then begin at 19.55 and it will be the first chance to see how the change back to open regulations is going to affect the lap times. Sixteen time race winner Dave Molyneux and his passenger Patrick Farrance are the pre- race favourites but last year's winners Tim Reeves, with passenger Greg Cluze and the Birchalls will be keen to establish their credentials although there'll be missing from tonight's action due to contesting the World Championship round at Donington Park.

John Holden and Andy Winkle, popular winners in 2011, the returning 2003 champion Ian Bell, racing with son Carl, and Conrad Harrison/Mike Aylott are also expected to feature high up on the qualifying leader board.

Monday's session, again due to start at 18.20, will feature the Supersport, Superstock and Superbikes for the first time of the 2014 festival and attention will undoubtedly be focused on the appearances of Michael Dunlop on his factory backed BMW and the start of his head to head with Honda Racing rider John McGuinness, the latter eager to prove his fitness after his recent wrist injury. The leading pair will both be looking to put down early markers in the Superbike class after their respective Dainese Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT wins last year.

Other contenders due out for their first laps on Monday include Milwaukee Yamaha rider Ian Hutchinson, who returns to the Mountain Course after missing the 2013 meeting, Tyco Suzuki's William Dunlop, fresh from his Superbike race win at the North West 200, Bruce Anstey and McGuinness's Honda Racing teammate Conor Cummins.

You can keep up to date with all the on track action via the iomtt.com's live timing service or via the TT App and you can also listen live worldwide via Manx Radio TT's on-line commentary.

www.iomtt.com

Spanish rider Javier Orellana won today’s fourth-round Pata European Junior Cup race at Donington Park in the UK today, winning his first race of the season after another epic battle on board Honda’s CBR500R machine.

Orellana beat Belgian Angelo Licciardi to the chequered flag by 0.719s after 10 laps of the 4.023km Donington Park circuit in a support race to the fifth round of the World Superbike championship.

Another Spaniard, Augusto Fernandez, finished third today, just one tenth of a second behind Licciardi, but retaining his championship lead thanks to victories in the last two rounds at Assen in the Netherlands and Imola in Italy.

Local rider Josh Harland took pole position for today’s race but crashed out of contention on lap two. The 19-year-old was taken for a precautionary medical check but expects to be fit for round five in four weeks’ time.

There were no fewer than four riders who crossed the line in the lead at various stages of today’s race, but there were plenty of other lead changes too. Swedish rider Jesper Hubner was among the leading group until he crashed out of the race with just four laps to go.

“It was another fantastic race on the CBR500Rs,” said Orellana after the race, “and I am very happy to take my first win after finishing second in two races already this season. Now we are halfway through the championship so I must work hard to stay at the front for the second half of the season.”

The 2014 Pata European Junior Cup powered by Honda will re-assemble at Misano in Italy for round five of the series on 20-22 June.

Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda Racing – round four

Donington Park, United Kingdom – result (ten laps):

1 Javier Orellana (ESP)

2 Angelo Licciardi (BEL)

3 Augusto Fernandez (ESP)

4 Illan Fernandez (ESP)

5 Mike Perez (ESP)

6 Marc Miralles (ESP)

7 Jamie van Sikkeleru (NED)

8 Connor London (NZL)

9 Alex Wisdom (USA)

10 Carmen Geissler (SUI)

Championship points after four of eight rounds:

1 A Fernandez 79, 2 Orellana 73, 3 Miralles 63, 4 Hubner 40, 5 Licciardi 34, 6 I Fernandez 34, 7 Perez 33, 8 Harland 27, 9 Grassia 27, 10 London 26

Next round: Misano, Italy – 20-22 June

MELANDRI, FOURTH IN RACE 1, CRASHES DUE TO CONTACT IN RACE 2 WHILST BATTLING IN THE TOP POSITIONS.

Donington (UK), 25 May 2014 – A nice third place for Sylvain Guintoli closes out the weekend for Aprilia Racing at Donington in the English round of World Superbike. With this result the Frenchman stays in the top part of the championship standings at 11 points from second place and 37 from the leader. It was a shame that during the first race while duelling with Baz he ran straight on and was relegated to a seventh place finish.

Sylvain Guintoli: "Race 1 did not go as I had hoped. I started off well, pushing hard, but then I wasn’t able to keep the pace and I was really struggling. Then the team did a great job for Race 2. The bike changed a lot and my pace improved compared to the first race. I pushed hard to get away from Davide Giugliano but I wasn’t able to keep up with the two front runners. Anyway, this podium, on a track that is certainly not one of my favourites, tastes like victory to me".

Marco Melandri, after finishing Race 1 in fourth place, seemed better in the second race and even able to battle for one of the top positions. A good start (from the third spot on the front row of the grid) had him duelling for first place with team mate Guintoli. However, in the fourth lap contact with Lowes, who came from behind and bumped him full on, forced him into a crash, taking him out of play. Marco courageously made up positions but only after a long stop which relegated him to the bottom of the final standings.

Marco Melandri: "I can’t help but be disappointed. In Race 1 I struggled to go fast, but in Race 2 I’m sure I could have taken a spot on the podium because with the changes we made the conditions were a lot better. Unfortunately things didn’t go well and it wasn’t my fault. On the positive side we collected some important information about how to adapt the bike to my riding style. Now I just want to take things one race at a time, trying to improve constantly so I can get the good results that I know I am capable of".

FRONT ROW FOR MARCO MELANDRI

Donington (UK), 24 May 2014 – The wet Superpole on Saturday placed the official Aprilia Racing RSV4s on the first two rows and ensured that Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli will be key players in the races tomorrow.

The rain which had been forecasted for the past few days finally arrived to dampen the beautiful English track at Donington and to nullify all the work the teams had done during Friday practice. The extreme conditions – it is also quite cold – enhanced Marco Melandri’s riding quality as he rode his Aprilia to just two tenths of a second off the top time, taking a spot on the front row of the starting grid with the third best time.

Marco Melandri: “Today’s result was important. I want to thank the guys on the team because they are really working hard. Superpole was hard. The first part of the track – the fastest part – was slippery and then the last long braking sections were quite difficult in the wet. It was hard to find the limit, so tomorrow we’ll have to see first of all how the weather shapes up and then we’ll prepare as best as possible for the races.”

Sylvain Guintoli, a specialist in the wet, started off strong, firmly establishing himself in the top positions and even taking first, but a sliding crash in the second part of the session (without consequences for the Frenchman), forced him to come into the pits, keeping him from defending his top time. Once back on the track with time for only one more lap, Guintoli in any case was able to improve on his time, taking a spot on the second row with the fifth best time.

Sylvain Guintoli: “As always a wet Superpole makes a mess of things. I felt good, but I slowed down for a lap and the tyre probably cooled down so I took a slide. I was able to get back on the track and take a flying lap even though the bike wasn’t performing at 100%. It could have gone better but in these conditions there is always a risk and second row is fine to get off to a good start tomorrow.”

www.aprilia.it

Dorna Sports, promoter and organiser of the MotoGP World Championship, which is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), has announced that Michelin will be the sole supplier of tyres to teams participating in the series from 2016.

“Our policy of carrying over our technologies from track to street fits perfectly with the new technical regulations which are due to be introduced in 2016 and which will dictate the use of 17-inch wheels. That is why Michelin decided to submit a bid following the tender process instigated by Dorna Sports. We take this opportunity to thank the governing bodies for the confidence they have placed in us today. Their confidence recognises Michelin’s expertise and the 26 Riders’ world titles it has secured”, says MICHELIN Motorsport’s Director Pascal COUASNON.

The MotoGP World Championship features the discipline’s most technologically sophisticated bikes, the power output of which exceeds 250hp. The level of performance they deliver both mechanically and dynamically is very high. The series also stars the world’s best riders and their efficiency is notably due to the confidence they have in their machines, particularly their tyres. The discipline consequently serves as an exceptional proving ground for the technological innovations of tomorrow.

Thanks to the MICHELIN Total Performance concept, which consists of constantly and simultaneously pushing the envelope in all the areas that influence tyre performance, Michelin is geared to providing the riders with increasingly higher levels of grip in dry and wet conditions alike.