Pictures: Melandri turns Spiderman - again!

Tech 3 Yamaha star Marco Melandri returned to his Spiderman livery in Estoril today, to coincide with the launch of the Spider-man 2 movie in Italy.

The Italian rider first sported the livery in the 250cc race at the 2002 Italian Grand Prix (lower pic), and his 2004 'costume' again includes specially made leathers and fairing.

Tech 3 Yamaha star Marco Melandri returned to his Spiderman livery in Estoril today, to coincide with the launch of the Spider-man 2 movie in Italy.

The Italian rider first sported the livery in the 250cc race at the 2002 Italian Grand Prix (lower pic), and his 2004 'costume' again includes specially made leathers and fairing.

Melandri will auction his Spiderman leathers, helmet, gloves, boots and Yamaha fairing at the end of the month. All proceeds will go to Melandri's favourite charity 'Emergency' with the money going to the Panshir Medical Centre in the Afghan village of Anabah.

Unfortunately for Marco, the livery didn't appear to give him any 'special powers' today, but he will line-up a credible - if unhappy - seventh on the Portuguese Grand Prix grid.

"I'm not very happy with how things went today," said Marco after final qualifying. "We used the same settings as yesterday but the bike felt completely different and much more difficult to ride. We worked hard to try and improve the bike, and I managed to up my time, but I don't have a good feeling.

"Our main problem is through T4 where the bike is difficult to control. All the Yamahas seem to be losing time there. Yesterday I was hoping I would be able to fight for the podium - now I'm not so sure..." he sighed.

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