December and especially the time around Christmas is traditionally the moment for many big charity events to take place and just as he’s done on many occasions before, Álvaro will again show his football skills to support a good cause.
This year he will join his friend Iker Casillas again to participate in a star-studded match of football at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid, the “Partido por la Ilusión 2011″ [roughly translated as "Match for Dreams"].
On December 28th Álvaro, Iker Casillas, several other athletes and famous stars from Spain like singer David Bustamante will play a friendly game against each other to raise funds which will all go to the charity foundations Exit and Tomillo which support employment for young adults.

Tickets for the event cost 15 Euros for adults and 10 Euros for children under 12 and can be ordered on the website of the Spanish football league. The game starts at 18.00 local time and will be shown live on the TV channel La Sexta.

In other news, Álvaro recently tweeted that he’s already had his stitches removed after being operated just last week and that his leg is doing very well. He’s back to regular training already and should be absolutely fit and ready for the new year.

As we reported earlier, Álvaro has been under the knife again on Wednesday. In the meantime he has been discharged from the hospital and is already back home.

He will be able to do a full recovery at home after Dr. Angel Villamor and his team at the USP Hospital San José Madrid have removed the material they inserted in March to fix his broken leg.

Specifically, the doctors Angel Villamor and Rafael Durá (shown in the picture next to Álvaro) have removed the intramedullary nail which was placed in the left femur and the screws. The Talaverano is well, motivated and smiling.

After a night’s rest he was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning and travelled back home. He already tweeted that he’s feeling good, but with a painful buttcheek – “like I’ve been kicked hard in the behind!” – because a muscle had to be moved for the surgery and is still sore. But the pain is bearable and should pass in the next few days and he should be able to start his recovery shortly.

He will be fully fit for the next season of the MotoGP world championship.

Source: USP San José , Twitter Álvaro Bautista

Re-live the most significant events and exciting races of the MotoGP decade with the official MotoGP™ History app.

From its inception into the FIM World Championship in 2002 when the 500cc category became MotoGP with the introduction of four-stroke prototypes, until 2011 which closed the 800cc machine era, the MotoGP™ History app is a must have for the true MotoGP fan.

Now available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, this comprehensive application offers an interactive and intensive look into the first ten years of the MotoGP era. Experience everything from the rise and fall of the World Champions to the greatest races of the decade through exclusive photos and video coverage of every race weekend within the 2002-2011 seasons. Navigate the era by season, rider or machine and encounter the MotoGP era like never before.

Experience the elite motorcycling class through the riders that defined the era, from the World Champions of the decade to fan favorites and underdogs, through exclusive images, videos and special features.

Explore each rider profile season by season, or browse all MotoGP riders of the decade at once. Photos of each rider and their corresponding statistics for each season raced provide a comprehensive view of the talent that has formed the category.

Review technical details and zoom in on the high resolution images of each motorbike to have appeared in the category, including the Aprilia RS3 Cube, Ducati’s Desmosedici, Team KR’s Proton, the Harris WCM and Kawasaki’s ZX-RR, and of course each iteration from the powerhouses of Honda and Yamaha.

From the 500cc two-strokes, the ground breaking 990cc four-stoke to the 800cc super machines introduced in 2007, the MotoGP™ History app brings together the big picture of the changes the class has seen over the last decade.

Available now for download to iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad from iTunes, MotoGP™ History is a must have app for the true MotoGP aficionado. Click here for info and download….

Source: motogp.com

The successful partnership between Dorna Sports S.L. and bwin is to continue for another two seasons. The high profile presence of bwin at MotoGP stretches back to 2004 and this commitment to the sport has been reaffirmed with the title sponsorship of two MotoGP Grands Prix; Gran Premio de España at Jerez and the Grand Prix Ceské republiky at Brno. bwin will also have a highly visible presence at the Misano, Mugello and Silverstone Grands Prix.

The bwin brand will be prominent at each circuit with banners on the track, the pit lane and starting line. Branding will also be included on the podium, in the press conference areas and on interview backdrops, with special LED advertising reinforcing the brand’s image the Grands Prix where it is the title sponsor and underlining the importance of innovation and technology to the bwin philosophy.

Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO at bwin.party digital entertainment plc, said: “We are proud to announce the extension of our partnership with MotoGP for another two seasons. MotoGP has become one of the most exciting sports events over the years and fits perfectly with the bwin brand. Hundreds of millions of television viewers follow the thrilling MotoGP races every year.”

Dorna’s Managing Director Pau Serracanta added: “The partnership between bwin and MotoGP over the past seven years has always been associated with reliability, innovation and growth. We are looking forward to racing on together in the upcoming seasons.”

Source: motogp.com

Álvaro went under the knife again yesterday to have the large pin removed which was inserted in his left femur after his crash in Qatar early this year. Looked after by his regular surgeon and friend Dr. Angel Villamor at the USP hospital San José in Madrid, Álvaro’s biggest worry before the operation was actually the syringe he’d have to be pinched with in order to fall asleep, as he proclaimed on his Twitter account [he is not very fond of needles and said in several interviews that it was one of the worst things about racing for him with the necessary more or less regular trips to doctors]. The operation is a relatively standard procedure and rehabilitation should not last too long.

In the evening Álvaro already tweeted that everything went well, thanked Dr. Villamor and his staff for the “terrific treatment” he always gets from them and joked that he’ll take the very large nail home with him – not as a “souvenir”, but as a possible weapon in case he ever has to fight it out with someone…

He spent the night at the hospital to rest and full recover from the anaesthesia and will be discharged today. He won’t be able to train properly for a while, but he already stated that a bit of complete rest will even be welcomed. The rehabilitation period should be over quickly however and he’ll be fully fit for the first test of 2012 in Sepang.

Source: Twitter Álvaro Bautista
Photo: The removed nail next to a 1,5 liter (!) bottle, courtesy of Noelia Velasco

In November 2011 Spanish MotoGP star, Alvaro Bautista, joined 18 other adventurers, including grand prix legend, Randy Mamola, on an adventure of a lifetime. Alvaro saw how he and the other MotoGP riders are helping people in Africa receive reliable health care.
Riders for Health’s Experience Africa is not just the usual motorcycle tour. It is a chance to witness the extraordinary work of Riders for Health. Participants were raising money to support the organisation’s work in Africa and they used the same bikes that health workers use across Africa to deliver health care.

Alvaro talks about his experiences in Zambia:

“People often wonder what it is that MotoGP riders do during the winter when there are no races. Obviously there is lots of training to be done, but this November I was lucky enough to visit Zambia with the amazing charity, Riders for Health and take part in their Experience Africa adventure.
We arrived in Zambia and had a day to get used to the bikes that we would be riding. They weren’t quite as quick as the ones that I am used to, but they were just right for where we were going.

Our first day’s riding was from Lilayi lodge to the Moorings campsite, six hours away, and we were on the bikes before 9am. This was my first time riding through Africa and it was a real eye-opener. When you see how isolated the villages are and how bad the roads and tracks are, it is really obvious what an important job the motorcycles do, and how much they help the health workers.
The riding was great fun and the tracks and off-road routes were all twisting, undulating, fast in places, across a wide variety of surfaces. We road past savannah grasslands, maize crops and into forests.

We were riding for a week and finished our adventure in Livingstone, just a few kilometres from Victoria Falls. I thought that my first days riding had been amazing, but the last two were even better.
We rode through villages and met lots of people, and what amazes me the most is how happy the children are that we meet. Although they have so little, they are so pleased to see us. It is the kind of excitement and happiness that children get in Spain when they see Santa.

I always knew that it was important to support Riders for Health when I donated items to their auctions at Day of Champions and met with fans in the paddock and pit-lane, but to see what they do with the money they raise is amazing.
We visited a clinic and heard how hard it is for the health workers. We met people who had had to walk for many hours to visit the clinic, which had so little.

One of the health workers told us they cared for a village 80 kilometres away. Without a vehicle, how would they ever reach it? The roads are so bad, and the villages are so isolated, it means that it is so important to make sure the health workers have a motorcycle.
We were also told about how Riders for Health looks after vehicles so they never break down. It is easy to see how the rough roads could cause a bike to break. That is why the technicians are so important.

What I will always remember about Zambia was how warm and welcoming everyone was. The children would stop and wave to us. But it was sad to think that these children do not have the chance to be children. We saw one girl, who must have been no older than four or five, carrying her baby sister on her back. She had to look after her sister instead of having the chance to be in school or to play with her friends. In Spain we live to enjoy. In Zambia, they live to survive.

Riders for Health gave me the opportunity to take this incredible adventure, and I would like to say a big thank you to the wonderful friends I met on the ride. They were a fantastic team and I will remember them all.
It has been very important for me to see just how important the work of Riders for Health is, and how the support of all of us in MotoGP is making a difference. It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

For more information about how you can join Experience Africa in 2012 email experienceafrica@riders.org
For more information about Riders for Health you can visit their website by clicking here

The addition of the Argentina GP to the World Championship calendar beginning in 2013 was officially announced on Tuesday, in a formal ceremony attended by Italian MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso and several Argentine athletes.

Minister of Tourism, Enrique Meyer, made an offical announcement on Tuesday that the Gran Premio de la República Argentina will be held at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit in the province of Santiago del Estero, starting in 2013.

The presentation was held at the Museo del Bicentenario de Buenos Aires and was attended by various national authorities, representatives of Dorna and other special guests including MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso, former World Championship contender from Argentina Sebastian Porto, professional drivers René Zanatta and Orly Terranova, along with several young Argentine riders such as Leandro Mercado, among others.

Yesterday’s announcement follows the signing of the agreement which took place last September in Paris between the Argentine government, the governor of the province of Santiago del Estero, the company OSD and Dorna to host a MotoGP round in the country beginning in 2013. The Grand Prix will be held at the aforementioned Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo and the agreement lasts for three years.

Source: motogp.com

MotoGP and F1 team members joined family and friends at a service of thanksgiving this week for the life of Rizla Suzuki’s Operations Manager Charlie Moody, who sadly passed away last month.

Nearly the complete 2011 Rizla Suzuki team was present at the service, held close to Moody’s home in Gloucestershire, England. The church was overflowing with members of the MotoGP and F1 paddocks, in addition to his family and numerous friends. Moody had succumbed to Motor Neurone Disease following a short spell in hospital after contracting pneumonia; he was 55 years old and leaves his wife Arlene and sons Wil and Nic.

Charlie Moody was a native of Chesterfield, in Derbyshire and after leaving Sheffield University joined Walter Wolf in Formula One as a mechanic. He worked with Jody Scheckter, James Hunt and Keke Rosberg during this time and stayed with Rosberg as the Finnish driver moved to Williams and won the F1 World Championship in 1982. Moody’s next progression was to run the Benetton test team and he then moved to Leyton House in the same role, before becoming its Race Team Manager. Moody then moved to Simtek Grand Prix as Team Manager before heading to the British Touring Car Championship to run the Janspeed team, afterwards returning to Formula One to run the Williams BMW F1 test programme. Amongst his many achievements, Moody was also the very first person to strap Ayrton Senna into a Formula One car in the Brazilian’s inaugural Grand Prix test at Donington Park in 1983.

Moody then turned his attention to two-wheels, joining Kenny Roberts’ MotoGP organisation and he became an important and integral part of the company, before moving to Rizla Suzuki in 2009. He was an instantly recognisable figure in the MotoGP paddock with his long hair and trademark jacket, worn in even the hottest of conditions! He had an infectious and warm personality as well a thoroughly determined streak to get the job done. His many achievements and fun-loving character were summed up in readings at his memorial service. Charlie will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

Charlie Moody will be remembered as being a true gentleman, as well as a gentle man.

‘Charlie’ – Charles William Moody 1-7-56 – 22-11-11 R.I.P.

Donations given in memory of Charlie Moody are for ‘Motor Neurone Disease Research’ and can be either sent to:

E. Taylor & Son
21 Corbett Road
Carterton
Oxfordshire
England
OX18 3LG

Or online at
http://www.mndassociation.org/get_involved/donations/make_a_donation.html