Casoli crash spoils new R6 debut.

The opening day of Belgarda Yamaha's first winter test in Valencia saw Paolo Casoli suffer a dramatic setback after sliding off this year's YZF and hitting his head heavily on the track.

The Italian was taken to hospital in Valencia for a thorough examination and the team are currently waiting for the results. Due to the violence of the impact, 'Gasolio' will have to remain under observation in hospital for twenty-four hours as a precaution. However, it is not thought there is any serious damage and he should be okay for the next test on the 19th and 20th December. Belgarda is already without the services of James Whitham after the Briton opted to remain in Briton to undergo knee surgery.

"There appears to be no serious damage to his head, but Paolo has suffered a cranial trauma and will have remain under observation overnight," explained Massimo Corbascio from the Clinica Mobile, "If there are no complications, he will be able to return to Italy on Friday. It seems that he gave his head a good thump, but all he's going to end up with is a bit of a headache! It could've been a lot worse, so we're all relieved - and happy."

Understandably, Casoli's crash set back the team's development programme, with Gianluigi Scalvini, standing in for Whitham, having to shoulder more responsibility. The Italian had his first ride on the new YZF-R6, before giving the team important feedback about the bike and the fuel injection system during the first day of tests.

"The new Yamaha is truly beautiful and I really liked it - from the first time I swung my leg over it." 'Gigi' said, "I rode the old R6 in the Italian championship at Mugello and in practice at the German round of the World Championship and it felt like a street bike made into a racebike. The new R6 has been designed for the track is built to race - and win!

"The chassis feels very stable - more like a grand prix bike. The Yamaha technicians have done a great job and I think the bike is going to do very well indeed in 2003. And the good news is - this is the bike that you can buy and use on the road!

"The programme that was prepared meant that Casoli should have tested the 2002 R6 Yamaha on Pirelli tyres today - but all that is changed now and we will have to modify our plans and get as much work done as possible. Tomorrow, he would've been spent more time on the new R6, but now it's just me and the team. I don't think Casoli did more then twelve laps before the crash, which took place at turn three -a fast [160kph] left-hander. Fortunately, the marshals and medics got to him straight away."

Scalvini ended the day with a time of 1min 40.90secs, comparing well to Casoli's pre-crash best of 1min 40.42secs.

"We had to make comparative tests between the old and new bikes, and see how they worked with Pirellis and WP suspension - things we hadn't used this season." said Belgarda technical director Silvano Galbusera, "We will succeed in completing a small part of what we wanted to do and will have to wait for our next chance in December. However, Scalvini told us that the new YZF-R6 has been well designed and has great potential, and this is a big relief to us all."

The first stage in Yamaha Belgarda's winter test programme concludes today [14 November.]