Berni Honda starts season in Italy.

The Italian motocross season kicks off this weekend in Montevarchi with the opening of the Absolute Italian Championships.

The classic tournament acts as one of the warm-up events for the Motocross World Championship, and the starting line should boast some of the best Italian riders competing against international stars preparing for the grand prix season. Berni Honda provides two of the latter, with Pit Beirer and Joshua Coppins in saddle to the team's Honda CR250s hoping to emulate the achievement of Alessandro Belometti, who won the Italian title in 2001.

"I will be at the Absolute of Italy in good condition both technically and physically," Beirer said, "Last year, unfortunately, I had problem with the tendon to the right arm that compromised my season. I don't hide the fact that racing with Honda has been, for a long time, my dream, and I have big intentions for the championship.

"Last Sunday, I raced in Viareggio, winning the Coppa Carnevale, which was a useful test to sharpen the new motorbike. Although this is already very advanced, it is not yet in full 2002 spec and, in Montevarchi, we will race with a 'laboratory bike'. We expect to have new parts from Showa and other special parts ready for the race in Cingoli."

"I arrived in Italy just on Sunday, and my first impression has been excellent," team-mate Coppins revealed, "The racing department is organised and efficient, and there are good structures for physical training and testing the motorbikes.

"The 2002 version of the Honda 250 is very good in the basic spec, but we are now working to bring it to the best for the world championship. I have raced in Montevarchi in the world championship in the class 250cc of 1998, classifying eleventh, and I am ready for Sunday. I have raced four Supercross competitions with moderate results, but I expect to win at least one race in the Absolute of Italy."

Saturday sees timed practice starting at 1400hrs, with racing starting on Sunday at 1330hrs.