Rookie quartet undertake Barcelona training sessions

The 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Academy project saw a group of four specially selected Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup riders visit Barcelona last week to undertake several days of training, which is hoped will help them in their development.

The riders selected were Mathew Scholtz from South Africa, Arthur Sissis from Australia, Alejandro Pardo from Italy and Xavier Figueras from Spain and they all worked hard, with Academy staff such as Raúl Jara and Alex Batlle helping them along the way.

The young riders took part in Supermotard and Motocross sessions to help improve their riding skills and worked on their fitness in circuit training, gym, running and cycling sessions. The idea behind the project is to make the riders aware of the kind of preparation work required by regular World Championship competitors.

Following the visit 14 year-old Rookie Sissis stated, “It was really interesting and we learned so much, but I have to admit I was very tired afterwards!” Meanwhile, his colleague Pardo commented, “I train in the gym almost every day and I go mountain biking, and I thought I was training correctly, but now I know that I need to work even harder. I had never done motocross before and I can see how it’s a really important extra exercise.”

The quartet will rejoin the rest of their Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup colleagues this weekend for the fourth race of their 2009 season.