SYLVAIN GUINTOLI signs for Tech 3

The Tech 3 Team is pleased to announce that the Yamaha-Dunlop project will continue in 2007 with a two-rider line-up. After signing Makoto Tamada last week, Tech 3 Yamaha has completed its 2007 squad with the addition of French 250cc rider and current Tech 3 test rider Sylvain Guintoli.

Herve Poncharal, Team Principal of Tech 3 Yamaha, said “I am very grateful to Yamaha for supporting us for one more season and enabling us to have two riders on the new 800cc motorcycle. Furthermore, I am very happy to announce that Sylvain Guintoli will be our second rider alongside Makoto Tamada. The Tech 3 Yamaha Team will be the only team to run Dunlop tyres in MotoGP and we are delighted that we will have such a talented line-up to continue with the great work that we’ve done in 2006.”

“It’s a dream come true for me to finally step up to the MotoGP class,” added French star Guintoli. “Herve and I have known each other for years and to be given the chance to ride with a Yamaha factory team is a fantastic opportunity for me. I want to thank Herve Poncharal and Yamaha for this chance and I can’t wait to begin working with them.”

That is refreshing news Guintoli had a fairly good season in the 250 class.

Hopefully the Tech 3 Team improve this year especially, now they have this years data to work from on the Dunny's.

is Barros going to tech3 too or or that just 'silly season' tosh ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (baldylocks @ Oct 31 2006, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>is Barros going to tech3 too or or that just 'silly season' tosh ?

barros signed for Pramac the other day

Whats the sudden obsession with the French? Its not like they've proved themself, last year there was one Frenchman on the grid, and he went gravel-diving at every opportunity, him and Stoner were fighting for most DNF's towards the end.

And have the rules been changed to whoever gets the least points win? Only reason I can think of as to why Kawa would ditch Shinya and keep RdP, and its really the only explanation as to why Duke would sign Kamikaze Casey.

Another cheap or quite possibly free rider for the tech3 team, that team needs a sponsor and Dunlop need to spend some money. It's obvious Dunlop aren't taking this too seriously, it's a token team. Pity someone with more dough at their disposal and a couple of well sponsored riders couldn't make more use of the two 800 Yamahas, what a waste? I don't understand where Yamaha see any value in this project.

Get KR to run it with Junior and Hopper on Michelins!

I don't understand why money-tight teams like Tech3 don't opt for a single rider team. Surely if they devoted all their recourses to one bike they could make it faster.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Elias Number 1 Fan @ Nov 1 2006, 12:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Whats the sudden obsession with the French? Its not like they've proved themself, last year there was one Frenchman on the grid, and he went gravel-diving at every opportunity, him and Stoner were fighting for most DNF's towards the end.

And have the rules been changed to whoever gets the least points win? Only reason I can think of as to why Kawa would ditch Shinya and keep RdP, and its really the only explanation as to why Duke would sign Kamikaze Casey.

Ducati signed stoner because tey're looking for young talent. They tried twice to get Hopper and failed, and in somewhat of a desperate rush to get a skilled rider on their bike signed Checa then Gibernau in sucession. Now, Checa did well at the end of 2005 and Gibernau had a few good moments in what was essentially another horror season of bad luck, but these two only lasted a year at Ducati because they're not what Ducati want. They're in the "Over 30 club", which isn't a bad thing, but Ducati are looking for the heir to Loris' Throne, so they need youth, and talent. And, despite his high crash rate (He's not the same rider I had a distaste for at the start of the season, but old habbits die hard), Stoner has had flashes of brilliance this season. Stoner fans will tell you that even Rossi crashed a lot in his first year, which is a valid point. But I'd rather see CV on that bike. (This sticking up for crashey's making me feel all weird )

As for Nakano, make no mistake Kawasaki did not give him the boot. He was their only hope, but they've been behind the ball since they came to MotoGP, and rumours are they aren't stepping up with the 800, either. Pedrosa, Rossi and Capirossi are testing thier rides for next year, McCoy's even scored world championship points on his new toy, whereas Kawasaki hadn't even let Shinya see the new 800 (Maybe because it's not finished?). I support Kawa, but Shinya is a talented rider who deserves better. He left them, he was talking to Konica Minolta and Gresini, but even with nothing signed he saw it as a better option than the very far behind Kawasaki 800, and now he's got a honda with Bridgestones, and with Gresini on 'stones, too, he won't be a loner like Tamada was on Japanese rubber. Hopefully he can be the next Tamada, without the Michelin/Hari Kiri bit.
And I think they signed DePuniet because he was cheap.

jeez an influx of frenchmen ....

I actually rate Guintoli. Given the circumstances (private bike) he did a great job in 250cc, I think he'll beat Tamada, despite his lack of experience.

I'll take yer word for it, Teo. Your a hard man to impress outside of the Spanish riders.

just kawasaki bein cheap.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>just kawasaki bein cheap
huh? He's going to Yamaha Tech3, not Kawasaki.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Nov 2 2006, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>huh? He's going to Yamaha Tech3, not Kawasaki.
Ooops..... brain fart!

Nobody is "useless" in Moto GP. They would still be racing in sunday cup action if they were that bad, ok so maybe they won't be beating Rossi, Hayden, Pedrosa, Capirossi, Stoner and Melandri but if he's a good rider then he'll be spotted. This could be the start of something big and beautiful for him.