`Back to reality´ for Dovizioso

JiR Team Scot rider Andrea Dovizioso was one of the standouts of the opening race of the season in Qatar, battling and eventually overcoming five-time world Champion Valentino Rossi in a breathtaking final lap battle for fourth place. However, the Italian rookie was on the receiving end of some rough treatment from his MotoGP rivals in round two, and was relegated to eighth at Jerez as he was pickpocketed by Loris Capirossi, John Hopkins and James Toseland.

`The race yesterday brought us back sharply to the reality of life in MotoGP,´ said Dovizioso after the race, which he followed up with some hard testing at the Spanish circuit.

`We had no illusions after Qatar, but after the Jerez race we have analysed with great attention to detail every point of the race and our approach during practice to each technical element of our set-up.´

JiR head Gianluca Montiron took positives from Dovizioso`s race which, whilst not quite as satisfying as his MotoGP debut, gave the Italian precious points in the World Championship standings.´

`Andrea had another very impressive race. He was last at the end of the first lap, so to make up places was very good. He could have finished fifth,´ noted the experienced paddock luminary.

`The result gives us fifth place in the championship, which I consider a good position for us,´ Montiron assessed.

JiR Team Scot is active on two fronts in 2008, with the outfit running a single rider in the 250cc class. Japanese competitor Yuki Takahashi was back on the podium for the first time in over a season in Jerez, in a glorious return for a rider unfortunate with injuries.

`Yuki Takahashi had a good race, because he had the possibility of finishing on the podium,´ stated Montiron, who admitted that Lady Luck was somewhat kinder to his Japanese charge this time round.

`Ok, two riders in front of him crashed (race leaders Alvaro Bautista and Marco Simoncelli) but this is part of racing,´ he concluded, content with the performance of a rider who, 24 races, one broken arm and numerous leg injuries after his most recent race win in 2006 at Sachsenring, finally reappeared on the rostrum last Sunday.