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Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Sachsenring Preview - July 12th

Just 3 races to go in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season and there are 2 thrilling prizes to play for: The first is the Rookies Cup and in that battle Luis Salom remains the season long leader from JD Beach and Sturla Fagerhaug. The second dream is to be a member of the 10 man Riders Cup team heading for Indianapolis and a clash with the best of the AMA U.S. Rookies on September 14th.

In the chase for the Cup 16 year old Spaniard Salom won 4 of the first 5 races and heads 16 year old American Beach by 10 points but both have wavered of late. Third place man Fagerhaug, the 16 year old Norwegian, is the man on form and having beaten them both in the last 2 races has closed to just 32 points behind Salom and is closing at a rate that could see him win the Cup.

Even for those who have little or no chance of overall Cup victory there is the huge draw of a place in the Riders Cup Team at stake over the next three races. The top ten riders go to Indianapolis and with the 75 points that would go to a triple winner of the remaining rounds every one of the Rookies has at least a mathematical chance of getting an air ticket and becoming a transatlantic star.

At the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix the Riders Cup will be contested for the first time with the top ten from the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup competing on home soil. The winning team in September will hold the trophy until the rematch at the final Grand Prix of the season on October 25th in Valencia.

The 75 points available that make the Riders Cup Team list so open also leave the Rookies Cup honours open to more than just the leading trio. Daijiro Hiura, winner of the Portuguese round was fourth at the last race is Assen, less than a tenth of a second off the podium and could still threaten Salom's hold on the Cup even though he has 53 points to make up. Though overall Cup victory may be unlikely race wins are certainly not for the 13 year old Japanese in his first season as a Rookie.

A first year Rookie particularly looking forward to Sachsenring is 15 year old South African Mathew Scholtz. He started his Rookie career at last year's Sachsenring Initial Selection Event and loved the track. On the podium at Donington he could well repeat that in Germany or even win.

Applications are now open for this year's Initial Selection Events held at Adria in Italy on September 1st to 4th.

The pressure for at least a podium finish is on for the two home country heroes headed by 15 year old Dani Kartheininger from Boos bei Memmingen, 450km away. He led the Assen race from the start only to fall with 2 laps to go. Similarly close to home is Markus Reiterberger, from Obing. The 14 year old gets special tips from neighbour Ralf Waldmann that could give him the edge.

There are no guest riders at the Sachsenring with contractual obligations ruling Portuguese double winner Miguel Oliveira out of becoming a full time Rookie.

- Peter Clifford -

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