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MotoGP, LATEST - Barbera to ride Iannone's Ducati at Motegi

Hector will stand in for Andrea on the GP16. Debuting on the Avintia bike is Mike Jones, who rides for Bayliss' team in the Australian SBK series

LATEST - Barbera to ride Iannone's Ducati at Motegi

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Iannone's bikes won't be left lying in the garage at Motegi, as the team has selected a substitute to ride the Desmosedici.... the name begins with B and the rider speaks Spanish... but it's not Belen. Joking aside, Ducati has chosen Hector Barbera to replace Andrea in the Japanese GP.

Up until yesterday, it appeared that no-one would stand in for Iannone, still unable to ride due to the vertebra injury he sustained at Misano,  but Dorna and IRTA pushed for a replacement, as they don't consider Andrea's stop to be down to force majeure, seeing as his condition has been known for days.

The Ducati men therefore acted and saw Hector as the ideal replacement “The Avintia team made him available- explains sporting director Paolo Ciabatti - Pirro is involved in very important tests at Valencia, we couldn't interrupt them”.

Neither Petrucci or Redding were feasible options.

Aside from the fact that they're battling it out for a 2017 Desmosedici in these last races, it would have been difficult to replace one of them”, comments the manager.

mike JonesThe Avintia team has decided to give Mike Jones a chance (pictured here). 22-years old, and hailing from Brisbane, the Australian races in the national SBK series in his home country with Troy Bayliss' team, riding a Ducati Panigale.

Last year he was crowned Australian SBK champion, while this year he concluded in fifth place. Jones has an exciting but very tough task ahead f him, as he needs to get on a MotoGP for the first time and learn the Motegi track.

Translated by Heather Watson
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