Toseland ready to restart work at Sepang

Having been training and enjoying a holiday in the heat and humidity of Malaysia over the last week, thousands of miles from the snow and ice currently affecting his native Great Britain, James Toseland should be well acclimatised ahead of the opening MotoGP test of the year at Sepang, which commences on Thursday (5th February).

Notoriously meticulous with regard to his fitness and preparation the super-athletic Englishman is 100% ready to jump aboard the new 2009 M1 Tech 3 Yamaha for the very first time and is keen to exorcise the ghosts of his last visit to the South East Asian circuit, having crashed out in the penultimate round of the 2008 season.

That crash brought about the second of just two DNFs suffered by Toseland in his debut MotoGP campaign, the 28 year-old concluding the season in eleventh position overall and with a best race result of sixth place achieved on six separate occasions.

Previewing this week’s the three day test at the technically and physically demanding Sepang circuit just outside the Malay capital of Kuala Lumpur Toseland acknowledged his mishap on his October visit and the chance to put it behind him as the 2009 preseason gets underway, saying, “Crashing out of the Sepang race in my debut season was one of my biggest disappointments of 2008 and for that reason I’m looking forward to the forthcoming test.”

“I thought I had found a good setting last year, but will be working hard at the test to ensure that I have the maximum set-up and I’ll be running as many race simulations as possible. Sepang is a long and technical track, which is made even more difficult by the hot and humid weather conditions. I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and pushing myself to be the best that I can be.”

With his Tech 3 team having elected to miss last year’s post-season test after the championship finale at Valencia, Toseland has undertaken just two short days of practice since the conclusion of his rookie campaign, at a cold Jerez track at the end of November.

Preparing for year two of his MotoGP adventure the tough Yorkshireman will therefore have his work cut out in Malaysia as he simultaneously debuts the new M1, continues his adaptation to Bridgestone tyres and continues to build up his relationship with new crew chief Gary Reinders.