VR46 Master Camp talent take to the flat track

Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge riders complete their first day – getting acquainted with the basics at Master Camp

After a month of waiting, the six new Yamaha VR46 Master Camp talents were unable to hide their excitement when they started the fourth edition with a training session at the Fisio Gym on Monday. Moto2™ championship leader Franco Morbidelli and Mugello Race Moto3™-winner Andrea Migno assisted fitness trainer Carlo Casabianca in explaining the exercises during the morning session, while three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli took the students under his wing at the VR46 Motor Ranch that afternoon.

The first day of the Master Camp stressed the importance of "safety first". After 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) all completed a routine medical check-up, they were taught how to stretch their muscles in a manner that enhances flexibility and helps prevent injuries.

'Safety' was again a buzzword in the afternoon as flat track expert Belli explained that the first riding session at the VR46 Motor Ranch wouldn't be about speed – but rather all about bike control. The riders received an explanation of the basic skills by the multiple flat-track champion, under the watchful eye of VR46 Riders Academy Director Alessio 'Uccio' Salucci.

The introduction to flat track racing, a totally new discipline for some of the riders, was enough to help them make their first improvements at the VR46 Motor Ranch, which they describe as the best track they've ever ridden, and left them wanting more.

Marco Belli: "The first day of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is all about getting the riders in the right position on the bikes, so they can work them easily. It's always a question of body position and throttle control. Yesterday we worked a little bit more on the lower half of the body, because we noticed that they needed to ride the bikes more with that part instead of trying to solve situations using their upper body. We did some special exercises and I can tell that most of these guys are used to these kinds of practice sessions, perhaps on dirt or supermoto. They're already able to control the bike, which is good, but then it becomes a matter of getting them to accept that they should start from zero, like a blank canvas. They have to start from scratch to learn the right lines, lean angle and correct timing to go on the brakes, to get the specific reaction from the bike that we're looking for. We will continue to work on this during the week."