Team Alice in Donnington

Surely a proof of character for Toni Elias who, starting from the last position in the British Grand Prix, gritted his teeth giving all he had from the first to the last turn.

At the end of the first lap the Spanish rider had already gained two positions on Hopkins and Toseland who unluckily slipped in the first turn. Constancy allowed the Alice Team rider to improve lap after lap registering his best lap time in the 21st lap when he was in twelfth position. In the last lap, after a battle which lasted seven laps, the Catalan rider made the last overtake which put him in eleventh position which means five world championship points.

Elias, now, is in fourteenth position in the World Classification with 29 points, together with Marco Melandri. His teammate Sylvain Guintoli, after the good start that saw him in eleventh position for the first six laps, has concluded in thirteenth position. The French rider is now in seventeenth position in the 2008 MotoGP classification.

Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director

“With all the difficulties we found this weekend, weather conditions included, the eleventh position gives us good hopes. To start from the last position is never easy, mostly mentally, but Toni has always demonstrated his strong and determined character during his career. We knew that with this track conditions, much more similar to the last Barcelona test, we were more competitive. Next weekend in Assen we will try other solutions tried during the test to improve even more.”

Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (11th in the race – 14th in the MotoGP Classification)

“Let’s put it this way, I am happy for all we have done today. With my Team we have worked intensively to find the best solution possible. I would say that we have done a good job. Naturally the eleventh place doesn’t make me happy, but for how it went yesterday I can consider myself satisfied. I am an aggressive rider and I like to overtake, but I would like to be able to fight also for better positions. In four days we will back on track and I hope to continue in this direction.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (13th in the race – 17th in the MotoGP Classification)

“I started well and I remained in eleventh position for many laps. I didn’t push too hard in the first half of the race because today we tried a new front tyre that I never used before and we have done many modifications in the front part of the bike. After ten laps I found a good rhythm on 1’30. I made it to maintain it until the end, but even if it was a rhythm much better compare to my lap time registered on Friday, I didn’t make it to step up in the classification.”

Toni Elias

An unique city

Thanks to Amsterdam’s unique mix of classic and contemporary, the city is now a leading tourist destination, a coveted place to live and a prime spot for business.
The city’s beauty and cultural attractions alone draw over 7 million overnight stays a year.

Cross-streets lined with shops, cafés, creative businesses, and cultural venues assure a lively and contemporary scene for its residents. The warehouses once used for trade have now been converted into lovely apartments that mix comfortably with international financial institutions nestled in 18th-century mansions.

Bicycles, trams, metros, boats and even skates now carry the city’s inhabitants through their day. Impressive modern architecture from the past decade provides for unique living and office space in what was once old factories on the outskirts and surrounding islands.

The Amsterdam Area itself continues to produce and innovate, competing with metropolises around the world and proving a vital and inspiring setting for the creative industries in the broadest sense.

Warning !

The stress of a house party does not only begin with inviting friends and end with cleaning up. A house party could result in serious fines and serious damage if proper precautions are not taken.

“People who host parties are their own worst enemies,” said Eddy Philips of the Antwerp City Control Group. “They hold parties they can’t control.”

Out of control parties may seem like a good idea, but the negative consequences can far surpass just one night of fun.

Fines are the most common consequence of having a house or apartment party. Reasons for receiving fines range from noise violation tickets to adult responsibility citations.

“Adult responsibility citations are given when under 21 (people) are caught drinking,” said Thomas Van Der Lely, attorney for Student Legal Services.

Some hosts put up signs around their party to discourage underage drinking, such as “Must be 21 to Drink,” but Van Der Lely said the signs do not take responsibility off of the hosts.

“Hosts are still obligated to monitor their guests,” Van Der Lely said. “A sign still makes hosts liable for underage drinkers, and in the city of Antwerp, the host and the minor each get a ticket for $ 280. In Mol, the ticket is $ 135.”

The tickets can be given to residents for serving multiple minors as well.

“In the city of Antwerp, residents (hosts) can be charged $280 for each minor present at their party,” Eddy Philips said. “All residents present can be charged for each minor. Say there were 10 minors, then each resident could be charged $2,800 - $280 per minor.”

Due to an increased number of adult responsibility tickets, Student Legal Service is running an advertisement at the end of this week in the Standard to inform students that the “Must be 21 to Drink” sign has no meaning in the eyes of the law.

Dragons

A dragon boat is a very long and narrow human-powered boat used in the team paddling sport or dragon boat racing which originated in the country of China.

For racing events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes. Dragon boat races are traditionally on the day of the Duanwu Festival, also known in English as the Dragon Boat Festival, making dragonboating the only sport to be celebrated as a national holiday.

The Chinese calendar date is the fifth day of the fifth month, which usually corresponds to a date in June. The oldest International Festival Races are those held in Hong Kong annually. The HKIR have been held since 1976 and are acknowledged as starting the modern era of the dragon boat sport.

The biggest dragon boat festival racing events outside of Asia are in Europe, particularly in Malmö, Sweden and in the USA and Canada. Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal each host races featuring more than 180 25-person crews. These races take place over two days in mid-to-late June in correspondence with the 5th Day of the 5th Month custom.

Team Alice in Catalunya

Hard day for the Alice Team on the Montmelò circuit in the seventh MotoGP round.
Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli, who started respectively from thirteenth and fifteenth position, had found themselves in the last two positions after the first lap.
After eight laps the Spanish rider, who was concentrated in the fight with Melandri, West and his team-mate, has seen the pit-board with the penalty for jump start too late, shown at lap five, and during the ride through he had to stop at the end of the pit lane as he was disqualified. A mistake for the home rider who wanted to do well in front of his own crowd.

Also Guintoli hasn’t been so lucky. He lost a lot of time at lap four when he went off track and when he reached West and Melandri, the rear tyre lost a bit of grip not allowing him to overtake them. Tomorrow and Tuesday the Alice Team will participate at the test on the Circuit in Barcelona to prepare for the next Grand Prix scheduled on June 22nd in Donington.

Sergio Verbena – Sylvain Guintoli track engineer

“Seen the race rhythm we had in yesterday’s practices I expected a little bit more. We can say that without the off track I had, where I lost about six seconds, we could have concluded at least a couple of positions ahead. But these are the races and you pay every single mistake. We will use tomorrow and Tuesday’s test to try different tyres solutions. We believe we can do better from the next round.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (13th in the race – In MotoGP Classification 17th)

“I am surely not happy on how the race went today. I started really bad, not like the last times, founding my self last after the first lap. Then, trying to overtake Toni, I went off track and I lost a lot of time. I did all I could to catch West and Melandri, but when I reached them, probably because I pushed a lot, my rear tyre didn’t have the same grip in the last two laps. I hope to do well tomorrow and Tuesday to conquer a better position in Donington.”

Toni Elias – Pilota Alice Team (Disqualified – In MotoGP Classification 15th)

“I don’t have any words. I am sorry for the Team and for my fans that have been really good with me in these days. Just a few seconds before the start I went just a bit forward but I didn’t think it was so relevant. In the first laps I was fighting with Marco (Melandri), West and Guintoli and I was too concentrated on the race. When I have seen the pit-board with the penalty sign was too late. Now we have to concentrate in these two days of testing to find some valid solution that will allow us to be competitive in the next race.”

Mio babbino caro - Puccini

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. Some of his arias, such as “O Mio Babbino Caro” from Gianni Schicchi, “Che gelida manina” from La Bohème, and “Nessun Dorma” from Turandot, have become part of pop culture.

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Lyrics : BABBINO CARO

O mio babbino caro,
mi piace è bello, bello;
vo’andare in Porta Rossa
a comperar l’anello!
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare!
e se l’amassi indarno,
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio,
ma per buttarmi in Arno!
Mi struggo e mi tormento!
O Dio, vorrei morir!

Babbo, pietà, pietà!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!

Rat Race - The Wailers

Robert “Bob” Nesta Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Rastafarian. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rock steady and reggae bands: (1964 – 1981). Marley died in 1980, but remains the most widely known and revered performer of ska/reggae music, and is credited for helping spread Jamaican music to the worldwide audience.

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Lyrics: RAT RACE

Uh! Ya too rude!
Uh! Eh! What a rat race!
Oh, what a rat race!
Oh, what a rat race!
Oh, what a rat race!
This is the rat race! Rat race! (Rat race!)Some a lawful, some a bastard, some a jacket:
Oh, what a rat race, yeah! Rat race!

Don’t forget your history;
Know your destiny:
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty.
Rat race, rat race, rat race!

Rat race!
Oh, it’s a disgrace
To see the human-race
In a rat race, rat race!
You got the horse race;
You got the dog race;
You got the human-race;
But this is a rat race, rat race!

Fix You - Coldplay

Coldplay are an English Alternative band formed in London in 1997. The group comprises vocalist/pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion. Coldplay have been one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium, selling over 30 million albums.

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Lyrics: FIX YOU

When you try your best but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
when you’re too in love to let it go
but If you never try you’ll never know
Just what your worth

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears streaming down your face and I

Tears streaming down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

In the Heat!

Most visitors come to Dubai in the winter season, between November and March, when Dubai weather is warm and sunny without being unbearably hot. Winter temperatures are around 23 degrees C in the daytime, while nights are cooler.

Summer temperatures are in the high-40s, and soar higher the further inland you go. Even the temperature of the sea can reach 37 degrees C.

Visitors brave enough to visit in the summer should be aware of a couple of important points:

Firstly, don’t think the heat gives you an excuse to walk around in a state of undress.

Secondly, do take care to avoid heatstroke, heat stroke is the condition that happens when the body takes in more heat then it can let out.

Our body works hard to keep itself at an optimal temperature. The scale into the ‘danger zone’ begins with body temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, that are life threatening.

At 41 degrees Celsius brain death starts. At 45 degrees Celsius death is almost certain.

Heat stroke can come on suddenly as our temperature regulating mechanism can simply become over-exercised and shut down.

Be smart about when and how you push your body and you will be able to reduce the risks of such conditions as heat stroke.
Simple steps that you can take, like staying hydrated, avoiding over-exhaustion in hot temperatures, etc are all that it takes.

You need to manage your time like the Spanish. Get up early to do things, then have a siesta or stay indoors before 5pm, when it’s pleasant to go outside again.

Normally during the weekend , during the early morning hours I slot a visit to Starbucks — Starbucks are normally located in one of the malls.
These malls are all air-conditioned. It is just a case of stepping from my air-conditioned hotel, walking a few hundred meters and step into the air-conditioned mall, all at comfortable levels rather than deep-freeze temperatures that leave you with a nasty cold.

By 5.30 pm, I go out before sunset for a swim in the hotel’s swimming pool, or watching the cranes building this man-made cosmpolitan city filled with luxury homes and offices, stretching into the Arabian Gulf.

Team Alice in Mugello

Sylvain Guintoli, Alice Team rider, has declared yesterday: “Tomorrow I want and I can obtain the best result of the season so far”, and so he has done. Surely the French rider isn’t fully satisfied by the eleventh position obtained today, but he consider it a good starting point for the intense work of the next two months, with five races in seven weeks.

His race has started with difficulties as he was touched by another rider and lost four positions in the second turn of the race, but after a few laps Sylvain found again the good rhythm registered in the warm up finishing just one position from the top ten. Another story for his team-mate, Toni Elias, who after the improvements seen in China doesn’t find back the right confidence to push at the maximum his Ducati Desmosedici GP8 SAT. Elias, who has finished in twelfth position, will try to improve in his home race, in Barcelona, in just 7 days. Thanks to the nine points conquered today, the Alice Team overtake the Kawasaki Racing Team in the MotoGP Team classification, positioning in eight place.

Sergio Verbena – Sylvain Guintoli’s Track Engineer

“Sylvain has been showing light improvements with his Ducati through the all weekend. This morning during warm up he has been really regular with an interesting rhythm. It seems the race started well, but after a few turns he was touched by another rider losing four positions. He also lost some seconds in the fight with his team-mate, Toni Elias, who is really good in the braking and not easy to overtake. Without these two episodes he could have fought with Chris Vermeulen to enter the top ten. We can’t be satisfied, but this results give us hopes for the rest of the season.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (11th in the race – 17th in the MotoGP Classification)

“This morning in the warm up, thanks to the hard work of my Team, we have found a good set up of the bike to use during the race. I was confident and my start is the proof. I overtook many riders in the first turn positioning well. Then, in the second turn, someone has touched me making me lose four positions. This episode has condition me for some laps because I thought there could be something wrong with my bike, but after about a third of the race things were back to normality and I found again this morning’s rhythm. This allowed me to recover various positions overtaking in the last few laps my team-mate, Toni Elias, and Nicky Hayden. I am not excited about this race, but is surely a positive performance for my Team’s morale. Moreover is the first time I finish in front of my team-mate and I think this is positive to grow together in the next races.”

Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (12th in the race – 15th in the MotoGP Classification)
“I don’t have many words today, I simply never been in the race. This morning, in the last laps of the warm up, I thought I found a good technical solution, but in the race it didn’t work as good. It is a negative day for us. With the Team members, who I work really good with, we will try to study the situation to improve on my home circuit, in Barcelona, in 7 days.”