.Last year Toni Elias suffered a fractured femur there after after tumbling through the gravel, and the year before Rossi broke his wrist there, though he was able to take part in the race.The gravel trap was reduced and the tarred outer run-off area

had some good results last year. “You just have to work hard on the settings,” he said: his explanation of the poor results of his factory team-mate Marco Melandri and satellite team riders Sylvain Guintoli and Toni Elias, languishing at the back

MotoGP's 2006 youth revolution has been striking. In two races, callow class rookies Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner claimed rostrums and pole starts; second-year kid Toni Elias has been close behind. Colin Edwards is just one old hand to twice take

by which he lost the title, then the taste is especially bitter.His adversary was the increasingly dreaded Toni Elias, tousle-top Spaniard with the infectious grin and the daredevil corner entry style - all crossed up, and about five mph faster than anybody

.Out the way, GrandadAt present, however, MotoGP bikes still require some rider input. But what kind? There was a surprising moment at the Turkish GP, when class rookie Toni Elias stuffed double Superbike champion Colin Edwards in the last tight set of corners

, in either direction. We have to look at the alternative - new riders coming up from the stroker classes. And there is at least one impressive young spunker in MotoGP this year - Toni Elias is up from 125s and 250s on a Yamaha, and finds himself not just

! But it doesn't guarantee unquestioning loyalty from the fans.The change has come via the smaller classes. Toni Elias is already in MotoGP and looking good; his former 125 rival Dani Pedrosa is on the way, via dominance in the 250 class. New to 250s, Jorge

kids barely in their teens on a fast track to the top. Pedrosa is the standard-bearer, Toni Elias a notable by-product. There is an army of Spanish talent pushing on behind.Similar recruitment schemes in Britain have been well-meaning, but short