“ Small guys like me , maybe we have advantages in some conditions , maybe to take care of the tyres , or to have more top speed , more acceleration ”
EXCITING CONTENT experience and one good thing he has is that , inside the box , he listens and he tries to understand , ask the rider , and communicate to the others . But he does not try to say , ‘ Ah , I was a rider , you have to do , this , this , this , because .…’ No . He knows each rider is different , but he goes on the track , looks at the bike , compares with other riders , and all that we say , he agrees and he can explain to the engineers . He has been riding Superbikes all his life and he knows very well everything .” The disparity in physical size between the diminutive Alvaro at and his super-tall new team manager Camier is brought to mind when you see them together , but it does draw the question of what is the perfect size and build for a rider ? Is Leon too big and Bautista a little small ? Horses for courses , as they say , according to Alvaro . “ Small guys like me , maybe we have advantages in some conditions , maybe to take care of the tyres , or to have more top speed , more acceleration . Bigger or taller riders have more strength than us , they can move the bike easier . In some cold conditions they can put more weight on the tyre . You have to adapt your bike to get the maximum advantage and try to not lose too much in your disadvantage . I do not think there is anything like ‘ this is a ‘ proper ’ rider ’. You have to get the best of yourself .” After the usual happy , smiling , and friendly encounter with Bautista the final question has nothing whatever to do with racing . What is it with his constant playing with his hairstyle ? Short , long , braids , colours , streaks - we have seen a million styles . And his best mate Mario is a spray-painter in his other job , remember , not a hairstylist . “ I like it !”, explained Alvaro about his ever changing hairstyles , but he has no idea why . “ Pffft … I don ’ t know ! For many , many years I started to do it . Fortunately , I have a lot of hair and I can do many things . The first time , when I was fourteen years old , I did some blue colours on my hair . When I got home my father saw me . He said ‘ this afternoon you cut the hair or I cut it for you …!’ I went to the hairdressers and instead of blue I made it blonde . More normal . I started to do many things with my hair . Cut it all , left it to grow , I just like it . I did it purple once , in 2018 but I think the purple was too much . A big step ! If I become champion in WorldSBK Mario can paint my hair any colour he wants !”
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