R6 Cup action at Donington MotoGP.

Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup riders enjoyed their annual trip to the British round of the MotoGP last weekend (24/25 July) where they met five-times world Champion Valentino Rossi and competed for an awesome array of prizes in the Virgin Mobile Yamaha MotoGP Cup.

The R6 Cup racers met the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha MotoGP rider on Friday afternoon. They were able to have a look round his Yamaha M1 race bikes and enjoy a photo opportunity with the World Champion, ahead of his Donington victory, which put the Yamaha MotoGP rider 22 points clear of his nearest rival Max Biaggi.

On Saturday, the R6 Cup riders got back to work and competed in their double bill of races, which formed one of the support classes to the blue-ribbon event.

The main prize of the weekend went to Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup rider Jon-Boy Lee, who returned home the proud owner of a gleaming Yamaha R6 road bike, while runner-up Ollie Bridewell won a Yamaha Aerox scooter.

Lee was the newly-crowned R6 Cup 'rainmeister' as he claimed victory in Sunday's rain soaked race after finishing seventh in Saturday's dry race. The 17-year-old racer and, most recent R6 Cup winner at Mallory Park, beat his nearest rival Ollie Bridewell, who also finished on 34 points. The first prize was awarded to Lee as he finished 32.6 seconds ahead of Bridewell on combined times.

"What a brilliant weekend," said Lee. "On Saturday's race, I led for the first two laps but then I lost the front at the Melbourne Loop and went down. I rejoined the race in 18th place and managed to fight my way back up to seventh. It wasn't ideal, but I then knew I could do it on Sunday. In the second race I started from pole as Victor (Cox) had injured himself the day before.

"By the fifth lap, I was back in fifth but managed to get through again. A couple of people went off as it was so wet out there, but I managed to stay on and win it. We weren't sure who had won the bike until we looked at the times. It would have been cool if they were point scoring rounds but you certainly can't complain about a gleaming Yamaha R6 road bike."

Runner-up Ollie Bridewell, who won his first-ever race on Saturday and finished seventh on Sunday, was also delighted with his second place prize.

"I won the race on Saturday and that was awesome and I will be looking to do the same again when we go to Croft in three weeks time," commented Bridewell. "I'm also really pleased with the prize, it's not every day you can get a brand new scooter. In a way it was a shame that I couldn't make up the time on Sunday's race but the weather was such that you really had to concentrate on staying on, rather than just hammering it around the track."