This year’s Masterclass took place just outside of Barcelona, with the 21 road racing talents heading to the Alcarràs circuit, while the 13 motocross youngsters made their mark at the technical MX El Terrè Almenar track.
Before the two days of running started, all of the riders convened in the Alcarràs paddock, where they got their first chance to meet the bLU cRU Ambassadors: FIM Superbike World Championship rider Andrea Locatelli, Yamaha Rider Coach and FIM EWC racer Niccolò Canepa, MXGP Grand Prix winner Brian Jorgensen, and bLU cRU and FIM Supersport World Championship rider Unai Orradre, as well as 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup title-winner Iker Garcia Abella.
That evening the youngsters took to the pit lane for a group photo, before Yamaha Motor Europe bLU cRU Racing Manager Alberto Barozzi gave an official welcome presentation, introducing the Masterclass, the bLU cRU spirit and reinforcing Yamaha’s KANDO philosophy, with the riders also receiving a Media Briefing.
Thursday saw the youngsters get their first chance to showcase their talents in front of the bLU cRU Ambassadors. In Almenar, Jorgensen guided the 13 YZ125, YZ85 and YZ65 riders around the track, before going through the importance of training and warming up. After completing their first laps of the circuit, Jorgensen then focused on their braking, turning and corner exit, as well as how to improve their starts.
For the road racing youngsters, after a track walk led by the bLU cRU Ambassadors and warm up exercise, the riders took to the track, while Canepa, Locatelli and Orradre kept a close eye on their lines and technique. That afternoon the trio, alongside Garcia Abella, joined the riders out on track, following them to further aid their assessments. Following the sessions, Canepa and Locatelli taught the R3 Masterclass riders how to properly analyse data.
At the end of the day, all of the riders were tasked with giving mock interviews, where they discussed how they felt on the bike, where they could improve, and what they thought of the day overall.
More track running and training kicked off Friday, with the Masterclass youngsters applying what they had learned from the previous day to further improve their speed and consistency.
The event ended with the Prize Giving Ceremony, where the riders were recognised for their efforts, which impressed the entire Yamaha staff and bLU cRU Ambassadors. The YZ Cup winners, who will receive a supported ride in the 2022 EMX Championships, will be announced on 15 November, while two supported spots on the 2022 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup are up for grabs for the most impressive road racing riders.
