David Checa to race at Mugello with Fortuna Yamaha

Mugello, Italy
31/5/2005

Reigning World Endurance Champion David Checa will compete in the Italian Grand
Prix next weekend with the Fortuna Yamaha Team. The Spanish rider will replace
Toni Elías, who is still recovering from an injury sustained during a day of
tests following the French Grand Prix at Le Mans.

Elías underwent an operation in Barcelona after fracturing the radius and
scaphoid of his left wrist and rupturing the ligaments that link the triquetral
bone and the radius. The rider also fractured the outside of his left fibula and
his leg was put in a cast. According to Doctor Xavier Mir from the Instituto
Dexeus in Barcelona, who has been responsible for the treatment issued to Elías,
the Fortuna Yamaha rider requires a five-week recovery period from the time of
the crash, assuming the injuries recover in a favorable manner.

Elias' misfortune gives Checa the opportunity to make his debut in MotoGP, the
world's premier motorcycle racing series, with a factory he already knows well.
This season Checa and Yamaha already enjoyed a spectacular victory at the 24
Hours race at Le Mans.

Checa, 25, competed in the 250cc World Championship from 2000 until 2002,
firstly with Honda and then later with Aprilia, taking a best ever finish of
sixth place in his final appearance at the 2002 Valencian Grand Prix. The rider
from Sant Fruitós de Bages (Barcelona, Spain) has been racing since 1996 and
regularly competes in four-stroke categories such as the World Endurance,
Supersport and Superbike championships.

David will travel to Mugello, Italy on Tuesday and will link up with the rest of
the team directed by Hervé Poncharal. Antonio Jiménez, Chief Mechanic to Elías
and previously to David's elder brother Carlos Checa, will be using all his
MotoGP experience as he presides over David Checa's debut.

Checa will also meet up with his new team-mate Ruben Xaus, who has only recently
completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The pair are already great friends
and often train together riding Supermoto.

This year, as well as his participation and victory in the Le Mans 24 hours,
Checa was planning to compete in the Bol d'Or, which will take place at the
Magny Cours circuit in France.

David Checa - 20-04-1980:

1996: 125cc Spanish Championship
1997: Supersport Spanish and Catalonian Championships
1998: 4th in Supersport European Championship - 1st in Catalunya 24 Hours
1999: Test rider for Ducati and Pirelli in World Supersport
2000: 19th in 250cc World Championship
2001: 17th in 250cc World Championship
2002: 13th in 250cc World Championship
2003: Debut en in World Endurance Championship - 1st in Oschersleben 24 Hours
2004: World Endurance Champion with GMT-94 Yamaha Racing France Impone,
      alongside Christophe Guyot, William Costes and Sebastien Gimbert
2005: Pirelli test rider for World Superbike - 1st at Le Mans 24 Hours