体坛英语新闻：Argentina intends to keep hosting MotoGP

BUENOS AIRES, March 31 (Xinhua) -- MotoGP, the premier class of motorcycle road racing in the world, will return to Argentina at the weekend for the second stage of the 2016 World Championship and the country expressed its willingness to keep it.

On Thursday there was an official presentation for the competition in local soccer club Boca Juniors' stadium where Argentina's Tourism Minister, Gustavo Santos, expressed the South American country's desire to keep hosting the competition.

"Argentina wants to keep the MotoGP. Our country has positioned itself in this competition and we would like to continue hosting all sporting events such as the MotoGP, Dakar Rally, World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), MotoCross," said the minister.

Santos' words were of importance since the current contract that Argentina has with the sport will expire this year with the intention of extending it until 2019.

The main MotoGP race will take place on Sunday at the Termas de Rio Hondo Autodrome, in the province of Santiago del Estero, located 1,120 kilometres north of capital Buenos Aires.

It will be the 13th time the motorcycling event has touched Argentinian soil since 1961 when it arrived in Buenos Aires.

Italian Valentino Rossi will look to defending his crown. In last year's fight to the end, friction between the Italian's Yamaha rear wheel and the Spaniard Marc Marquez's Honda front wheel caused the 2014 champion to fall off his bike serving up the victory to Rossi who celebrated with a Diego Maradona Argentina soccer shirt (hand of God).

Even though the event will not get underway until Friday with two practice sessions, Argentina can already feel the adrenaline. On Wednesday, various motorcyclists toured the city of Buenos Aires with their bikes while being photographed in emblematic places.

Regarding the race, it will be 4,806 meter-long track and after the two practice sessions on Friday there will be two new practice sessions on Saturday and then the qualifiers will take place from 14:10 local time (17:10 GMT).

The main MotoGP race in Argentina will take place on Sunday with a warmup at 10:40 local time (13:40 GMT) and the final at 16:00 (19:00 GMT).

The first race of the World Championship took place in Qatar and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) won, with Italy's Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) and Marquez in second and third place respectively.