On Monday morning Camel Honda technical director Antonio Cobas passed away at his home in Barcelona, surrounded by his family, after a long fight against cancer.

Today at Welkom, Sito Pons - who worked with Cobas for 25 years, both as a rider and team owner - released a brief and heartfelt statement following the death of his friend:

"Antonio is no longer with us and his loss is hard to accept. The world of motorcycling has lost a great technician, a great man. Antonio was a true innovator, a precursor, a technician who for 25 years gave an enormous contribution to the technology of motorcycling competitions.

"He never abided by the standards that had already been set, for he was always trying out new ways to improve the materials he had at his disposal. And that's exactly what he did when he designed his motorbikes: he created the multi-tubular frame, and the integral body that is still used on today's motorbikes... He was indeed a precursor, one who opened up the way for research and development, especially in the field of frame design, that others then followed.

"His thoroughness, his expertise and his passion for motorcycling were a precious lesson for his riders. He helped me, he helped Alex Criville and he helped so many other riders win races and world championship titles, not just by providing technical assistance but by teaching them to work in the most systematic and productive manner.

"I believe he will remain in the hearts and minds of many for a very long time, for his kindness and for his warm and always correct way of dealing with others. Certainly no one will ever forget – and this is surely his bequest to all of us – what he designed, what he built. His motorbikes. So many bikes: trial, endurance, road racing, in the 125cc and 250cc classes, an enormous heritage that he left us and that will remain for years.

"I personally took his Kobas 250 to victory a number of times and I won two 250 world championships with the Campsa Honda team directed by Antonio in 1988 and 89, while Alex Criville was world champion with the JJ Cobas 125.

"Antonio has gone, and I have lost a great friend, a person who worked with me for 25 years. I have always been in the world of road racing with him, and the mutual trust between us was always absolute.

"He was a man who lived the way he wanted to, and he was always able to do the things that gave him the greatest satisfaction, always respecting the three values that were most important for him: his family, his friends, and his passion for work, science, technology and research.