CHAMPION CHARPENTIER TO MISS FINAL ROUND Winston Ten Kate Honda’s 2005 World Supersport champion, Sébastien Charpentier, has been forced out of the final round of the series. The 32-year-old French rider sustained injuries to his left clavicle in a practice crash last Saturday during the eleventh round at Imola in Italy. Charpentier visited a specialist in Paris earlier this week and was advised not to ride this weekend at the final round in Magny-Cours. After consultation with team-manager, Ronald ten Kate, Charpentier has reluctantly agreed with his decision. For the Magny-Cours event, the team has been able to call up a last minute replacement from Holland Arie Vos. The 29-year-old from Oss, near Eindhoven, finished second in this season’s Dutch Supersport championship and has raced in four World Supersport races this year, finishing seventh in last Sunday’s eleventh round race at Imola. Ronald ten Kate team-manager: “Sébastien’s motivation to ride this weekend was almost overwhelming. He’s been looking forward to racing at Magny-Cours all season and was expecting enormous support here from friends, family and well-wishers all wanting to celebrate his fantastic World Supersport championship win. He has the title and, for now, we must focus on our testing programme for the 2006 season, which kicks off in about five weeks. I feel very sorry for him because I know how much this weekend means to him and, after his amazing season of nine pole positions, six wins and three second places, it was a difficult decision to make.” Sébastien Charpentier 2005 World Supersport Champion “Anyone who knows me knows how disappointed I am and Ronald has said everything, really. I love this track, I love racing in my home country of France and there is a lot of support for me here at Magny-Cours this weekend. But the injury is worse than we thought last Sunday and it’s just not worth the risk of ruining the tests for the beginning of next season. When we came to test here earlier in the year I was able to do a lap time of 1m43.2s so I was feeling very confident of finishing the season with a very good result. But it has already been a fantastic season and to win the championship at the team’s home race in Assen was a very special moment for me and all the team. I can only add that I’m sorry for everyone who wanted to see me race at Magny-Cours this weekend.” More, from another press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: Arie Vos There aren’t many racers who find their way into the sport through remote control but Arie Vos is one of them. The 29-year-old was Dutch remote control racing champion in 1995 and 1996 and also competed at European and world championship level complete with his own engine and suspension mechanics. In 1997, a friend suggested that he should try racing for real so the then 21-year-old took up scooter racing because it was the cheapest way to get into motorsport. A successful debut season, with fourth place in the Dutch championship, convinced Vos that a step-up to Supersport racing would be a good idea. However, a national season with one dry race and a great deal more crashes left Vos disillusioned and he didn’t race at all in 1999. But an offer to run a Polini scooter back in the Dutch national championship was too good to refuse. It was a good move back to two wheels because Vos finished that season as runner-up and took the title in 2001. For the following season, he opted for a more progressive route back to Supersport racing, competing in the Dutch 125cc championship and finishing ninth, despite numerous breakdowns. Another step up in 2003 saw Vos contest on a Yamaha in the Dutch 250cc championship in which he finished third the same position that he achieved on a semi-official Kawasaki in the Dutch Supersport championship in 2004 with a best finish of second. This season has been one of ups and downs, however, as Vos started the Dutch championship with Yamaha Netherlands and took part as a wildcard at the World Supersport events in Misano, Brno and Brands Hatch. However, a string of poor results led to Vos and Yamaha splitting and the Dutchman buying one of the famous Ten Kate Honda CBR600RRs to salvage something from the season. This he achieved, taking his first Supersport win in the final round of the Dutch championship at Assen. Setting the fastest ever Supersport lap on Assen’s short circuit, the result leapfrogged him from fourth to second place in the final championship standings. “It was a good finish to a bad season,” says Vos. “We were on a tight budget and seventh place in the last World Supersport round at Imola was a good way to end it.” Until the eleventh hour call from Winston Ten Kate Honda to replace the injured Sébastien Charpentier at the final round in Magny-Cours. “It was just a dream come true,” he beams. “I bought the Ten Kate race bike because I wanted to have some fun again. But I was also able to fight for race wins as well. Now I want to have some more fun at Magny-Cours both on the track and with the team. “I don’t know the track here,” he adds, “but it was the same at Imola so I’d like to aim for a top ten finish on Sunday and anything else will be a bonus. There is no pressure from the team, only from me, so I’m planning to enjoy myself.” ARIE VOS Date of birth 12 February 1976 Place of birth Oss, Netherlands Home town Oss, Netherlands Status Lives with girlfried Ursula Height/weight 1.82m/68kg Hobbies Running and mountain biking First race 1998, Dutch Supersport championship First win 2005, Assen Dutch Supersport championship Helmet Suomy Leathers MQP Boots Alpinestars Race number 81 Career highlights: 1997 Dutch Scooter championship final position 4th 1998 Dutch Supersport championship final position 20th 1999 Did not race 2000 Dutch Scooter championship final position 2nd 2001 Dutch Scooter championship final position 1st 2002 Dutch 125cc championship final position 9th 2003 Dutch 250cc championship final position 3rd 2004 Dutch Supersport championship final position 3rd 2005 Dutch Supersport championship final position 2nd