New students embark on Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Adventure

Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge riders arrive in Italy, geared up and ready to take part in the fourth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

Six new protégées travelled to Cattolica, Italy, this week to kick off the fourth edition of the prestigious Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training programme – established by nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, and the VR46 Riders Academy.

The third edition of this event, held in May this year, saw the origin of Master Camp students expand from Asia to global, and the trend continued in this week‘s five-day programme. Yamaha and the VR46 Riders Academy are again excited to welcome riders hailing from all over the world.

Italy‘s Alfonso Coppola (19), France‘s Enzo De La Vega (17), Finland‘s Kimi Patova (15), Ukraine‘s Mykyta Kalinin (18), Brazil‘s Renzo Ferreira (15) and the Netherlands‘ Robert Schotman (18) completed the traditional intake ceremony yesterday. After the warm reception from VR46 Riders Academy Director Alessio ’Uccio‘ Salucci and the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp staff, including a dinner with the VR46 Riders Academy, the new students are raring to start training today.

Based on the previous editions, the programme for the fourth Master Camp has been tailored to the level of the new recruits in such a way that it will allow the riders to gain both valuable skills on track (on-road and flat track), as well as theoretical knowledge.

The timetable for July 24th – 28th includes gym sessions and various riding activities with the VR46 Academy riders, mixed with theoretical lessons by the Andreani Group and renowned racing expert, Pietro Caprara, the Sky Racing Team VR46's Technical Director and Crew Chief.

Instructors attending the riding sessions are VR46 Riders Academy‘s Franco Morbidelli, Francesco Bagnaia, Andrea Migno, Nicolò Bulega, and three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli. They will monitor the Master Camp students' progress and help the young riders to further boost their performances as they continue their run in the 2017 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship (WorldSSP300) and Yamaha Motor Europe’s Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge from August 18th – 20th at the Lausitzring in Germany.

Alessio Salucci (VR46 Riders Academy Director): “The feeling of starting the fourth Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is fantastic, especially because it‘s our first European group - it‘s a new experience again! The build-up of excitement at the start of the programme is motivating for everyone. The riders can‘t wait to get started and of course the Master Camp staff feels the same way, so I‘m very happy. I‘m looking forward to seeing these new guys ride at the VR46 Motor Ranch as well as in Misano and at the Misanino circuit, it‘s going to be an exciting week. I‘m always thrilled when there's a Master Camp, because each one is unique and there is nothing that quite compares to it.”