After 18 races and a string of post-season tests taking in three different continents, the MotoGP World Championship’s on-track activity in 2007 has reached its conclusion. The series now enters a seven week test embargo period, with action not resuming until the next scheduled three days of work on January 22nd at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The year closed with a final test at the Spanish circuit of Jerez, with thirteen riders taking to the track for their last ride of the year. Many were working with prototypes of their 2008 bikes, whilst there were also a series of novelties which will become commonplace next season. The victor of the last race of the year, Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa also closed the testing schedule as the fastest rider in Jerez last week. The Spaniard clocked a 1’38.562 lap of his home track in the afternoon, lowering his pole position time for the 2007 race by nearly nine tenths of a second. Whilst his fastest time was undertaken onboard the 2007 model, Pedrosa was using the latest version of the Honda RC212V at the test, a bike which he had premiered at the opening post-race test in Valencia before skipping MotoGP’s following visit to Sepang. The major news from the three days came on the Wednesday afternoon, when 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner crashed the Ducati Desmosedici GP8 that he had been riding for the first time this week. The Australian suffered torn ligaments in his left shoulder in the incident, which came after an initial crash on the first day in Jerez. The factory Ducati rider has now returned to his homeland to undergo further examination on his injury, ending what had been a faultless year on something of a downer. Experiencing almost the reverse situation, Nicky Hayden concluded his three-country testing schedule with an excellent run in Jerez. The 2006 World Champion was the only other rider to break the 1’39s barrier at the Spanish circuit, a time that would have given him pole for the 2007 race. The American had previously posted positive times at Valencia and Sepang, although perhaps what will stick most in the ‘Kentucky Kid’s mind from the post-season will be his collision with a snake whilst testing the RC212V in Malaysia. All riders confirmed for the 2008 season have been present for at least one testing session, with a number of rookies experiencing 800cc riding for the first time. Impressive times have come from all three of the riders moving up from 250cc, with quarter litre World Champion Jorge Lorenzo having put in several marathon race simulations onboard the 2007 model of the Yamaha M1. The Spaniard was third on the final timesheets, just ahead of perennial rival and new JiR Team Scot rider Andrea Dovizioso. Alex de Angelis has also been adapting well to his Bridgestone-shod Gresini Honda machine over the winter. The final newcomer to the class is superbike champion James Toseland, who joins Yamaha Tech 3 alongside veteran Colin Edwards. The Briton made his debut at Sepang, Herve Poncharal electing against blooding him under intense scrutiny at Valencia. Toseland has been steadily improving his times, leaving his new team satisfied with their decision to bring in the 27 year-old for 2008. A hand injury having ruled him out of the opening two post-season tests, Valentino Rossi made his belated first appearance of the winter at Jerez. The five-time MotoGP World Champion had his first experience of two big changes in Southern Spain, sharing a partitioned garage with new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and making his debut outing with Bridgestone tyres. The Italian was immediately on the pace with his new rubber, although concluded his testing early on the final day owing to a lack of strength in his recently-injured right hand. Of the remaining riders set to line up on the MotoGP grid next season, a large section are switching teams in search of a new challenge. LCR Honda’s sole rider Randy de Puniet, factory Ducati newcomer Marco Melandri, Kawasaki’s John Hopkins and Gresini Honda debutant Shinya Nakano were all in action at Jerez, with Sylvain Guintoli and Toni Elias not travelling with Luis d’Antin’s satellite Ducati team for further testing after Valencia. Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi joined up with his new team to ride alongside team-mate Chris Vermeulen in a private test earlier in the week, held at the latter’s home track of Phillip Island in Australia. Plenty of changes to the factories’ new machines are promised for the first test of the new year, which will kickstart the year at Sepang on January 22nd. Casey Stoner “It’s never much fun when you get injured, but I’d rather it happened when you’ve got a couple of months ahead of you to recover. Unfortunately things are much worse than I thought yesterday after the crash, and this morning we decided that the best thing to do was to go back to Australia as soon as possible for further checks with the doctor who operated my right shoulder a couple of years ago. I’m sure he’ll get me back in shape again this time”.