Portugal
Laverty targets third consecutive win after taking pole
Source: | Motorcycle Sport | World Superbikes - Sunday, 16th May 2010, 9:19 GMTEugene Laverty secured his third pole position of the year at Kyalami, but revealed that he is not sure that he wanted it. His two previous poles at Portimao and Valencia both ended in disappointment when he crashed in Portugal... Read article
WSB back at the ‘Temple of Speed’ for round 5
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 5th May 2010, 10:57 GMTThe HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship returns to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza from May 7-9 for another classic appointment with the Italian track. Twenty years on from the first edition at the Monza parkland circuit on the outskirts of Milan, the challenge is still the same, but this time with seven different manufacturers competing with the best racing talent from Italy and abroad. On this high-speed track production-based Superbike machines lap at an average speed of close to 200 km/h, and this year expectations are high that the races will produce sparks from lights to flag. For two-wheeled racing fans Monza will offer numerous talking points this weekend: table-toppers Suzuki with Britain's Leon Haslam, the all-Italian combination of Aprilia, Alitalia and Biaggi, the factory Ducati riders trying to shrug off their below-par season start, Honda back at the top once again following Johnny Rea's domination at Assen, reigning champions Yamaha with two talented British stars, BMW on the up and up and Kawasaki who are aiming to finally join the front-running party. On the rider front the 27-year-old Brit Leon Haslam, the son of Ron ‘Rocket' Haslam who graced the 500 GP scene for many years, is currently on the top of the pile. After four rounds Leon leads the way with two wins to his name, and is 20 points ahead of Max Biaggi. Max, for his part, appears to have all the right cards this year to become the first ever Italian to win the World Superbike title and a double win in Portugal is projecting him towards that success. All eyes will also be on another British Lion, 23-year-old Leon Camier who stepped onto the WSB podium for the first time at Assen, while another Suzuki, a GSXR1000 Yoshimura for Yukio Kagayama, also joins the grid in the first of three races slated in for this year. Not everything is going according to plan in Ducati and the Italian manufacturer, which has won 18 of the 36 races held at Monza, is looking to one of its congenial tracks to set things right. Both the Xerox Ducati men, Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have struggled to regain ground since the opening round in Australia and thousands of fans will be following closely their every move. As well as the factory squad, the Althea Ducati team has brought back Spaniard Carlos Checa to a level of competitiveness rarely seen in the last couple of years, and Checa will receive capable back-up from Shane Byrne, who is still looking for a breakthrough this year. Jakub Smrz is producing excellent form, especially in qualifying, on the Borciani-Guandalini Ducati 1098 machine, while Italian colours are also capably represented by Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX) and Luca Scassa (Supersonic). Much attention surrounds relative newcomers BMW, who after a year of running in the new S1000RR, are now starting to appear in the top positions. BMW hope to continue this positive trend at Monza, a track where the four-cylinder German machine can lay down all of its power and maybe a podium finish is on the cards. The Tardozzi effect is beginning to be felt throughout the team and two-times champion Troy Corser, together with Ruben Xaus, is rapidly making progress. Dutch team Hannspree Ten Kate have taken Japanese manufacturer Honda back to the top after a disappointing start to the year with a dominant double win for Rea at Assen. After the latest modifications the CBR is now a perfectly competitive bike again, and Rea is aiming for further success, while things are a bit more difficult for young German Max Neukirchner who hasn't yet got entirely to grips with his new Honda mount. Monza will also mark the return of Vittorio Iannuzzo on the private Squadra Corse Italia Honda CBR. Yamaha hopes of repeating last year's fantastic American exploit, when Spies took one win at Monza and the title, lie with two British riders, James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow. For Toseland the return to Superbike, after a couple of unsuccessful seasons in MotoGP, has not been easy but his well-known perseverance has rewarded him with three podiums in the last four races, a result that has propelled him into fifth overall. Crutchlow's impact is the result of a spectacular riding style and two Superpoles have earned the Coventry man a front-row place in the eyes of Superbike fans everywhere in his debut season. For Kawasaki the grass continues to be ‘greener' on the other side of the fence. Chris Vermeulen's crash at Phillip Island together with him missing the next two rounds at Portimao and Valencia as he recovered from his knee injury, has scaled down the revitalized team's ambitions. Tom Sykes is doing everything possible to get good results but for the moment there is some way to go. SUPERSPORT: The Supersport World Championship has always offered close competition, but this year Monza is guaranteed to produce sparks, with slipstreaming the name of the game. In the first three rounds there were three different winners, each of the ‘big three' scoring well, with first Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), then Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), then Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) scoring full points. At the most recent race Laverty scored win number two, but he had to, as two less than happy weekends in Portugal and then Spain saw him drop way off the leading pace. At Assen he recovered ground, and now only 19 points, cover the top three in the championship. SUPERSTOCK 1000: You cannot get better than perfect, and for BMW Motorrad Italia and Ayrton Badovini perfect is what 2010 has been so far. Three races, three wins, the full 75 possible points on offer and the nearest challenger 30 points behind. The basis of the team is the same one that took Ducati to the championship for the past three years, under the guiding hand of Serafino Foti. Behind Badovini are three riders who have shared the podium with him so far, Davide Giugliano (06 Team Suzuki), Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier). Loris Baz (MRS Racing Yamaha) was the champion in the 600 Superstock class in 2008, and has also now scored a top three in 1000 Superstock, in Portugal. SUPERSTOCK 600: French riders continue to dominate the European Superstock 600 championship which comes to Monza for its fourth round. Two youngsters are at the top, 17 year-old Jeremy Guarnoni (Yamaha MRS Racing), who won in Portugal, followed by 16 year-old Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda), winner at Valencia and Assen. They are separated by 11 points. The third interloper could be Norway's Frederik Karlsen (MTM Racing Yamaha), who is emerging as a contender after a fifth place at Assen and having been given back the points he lost at Valencia. Behind can be found the Martini Corse Yamaha pairing of Dino Lombardi and Federico D'Annunzio. THE CIRCUIT: Following the multiple incident at the start of race 1 last year , which involved numerous riders, the first chicane has been slightly modified to give an easier entry angle . As a result the track now measures 5.777 km, 16 metres less than last year. COLLATERAL ACTIVITIES: But Monza is not only about the racing. The parallel activities for one of the most important races of the year also include events that will involve spectators both inside and outside the Paddock. Dedicated Aprilia, BMW, Ducati and Kawasaki grandstands will offer a unique spectacle, while fans can also watch exhibitions by German stuntman Chris Pfeiffer on Sunday during the pit-walk and on two other occasions in the Casa SBK Village, which will also be organizing competitions and prizes throughout the weekend. EXTRAORDINARY EVENT FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY RACE: The fever-pitch expectation for the WSB Round at the legendary Monza circuit and the rise in ticket pre-sales are elements that will surely guarantee the success of the event. Starting the weekend off in style, an SBK Party has been organized for Thursday 6th May at 8pm in the prestigious OLD FASHION club in Via Alemagna, Milan. The event sees the participation of the top riders in the championship, sponsors, journalists, TV and media and sport and show business personalities. The evening will also be opened up to all Superbike fans, who can download the invitation from FACEBOOK at www.facebook.com/sbkofficial to have free access from 11pm onwards by presenting the invitation. Read article
600 reasons to watch Supersport!
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Monday, 3rd May 2010, 9:09 GMTThe Supersport World Championship has always offered close competition, but this year - even after only four races - there are two main points that bear further analysis. The first is that as expected there is a ‘big three' in the fight for the overall championship. The second is that although there are less regular riders in the class than last year, there has been no drop off in quality at the sharp end. The exact opposite, in fact. In the first three rounds there were three different winners, each of the ‘big three' scoring well, with first Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), then Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), then Joan Lascorz (Motocard.com Kawasaki) scoring full points. At the most recent race Laverty scored win number two, but he had to, as two less than happy weekends in Portugal and then Spain saw him drop way off the leading pace. At Assen he recovered ground, and now only 19 points, cover the top three in the championship with Lascorz on 85, Sofuoglu 77 and Laverty 66. Qualifying and race lap records have been hot this year, with Lascorz starting it off with a new track best at Phillip Island. Sofuoglu and his team-mate Michele Pirro took the new best lap and lap record respectively at Portimao, while in Valencia Laverty set a new best lap. Assen, with its new layout, obviously had all new lap records in every class. Triumph as a manufacturer has already had its first podium of the year, thanks to Chaz Davies (ParkinGO Triumph BE-1), with his team-mate David Salom having had two fourth places. A competitive class still, in every way. Read article
BMW and Ayrton times three
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Monday, 3rd May 2010, 7:34 GMTYou cannot get better than perfect, and for BMW Motorrad Italia and Ayrton Badovini perfect is what 2010 has been so far. Three races, three wins, the full 75 possible points on offer and the nearest challenger 30 points behind. The basis of the team is the same one that took Ducati to the championship for the past three years, under the guiding hand of Serafino Foti. But, despite the proven record of Badovini in this class in the past and the out-of-the-crate performance of the BMW S1000RR, the level of domination has been far from expected. Behind Badovini are three riders who have shared the podium with him so far, Davide Giugliano (06 Team Suzuki), Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier). Loris Baz (MRS Racing Yamaha) was the champion in the 600 Superstock class in 2008, and has also now scored a top three in 1000 Superstock, in Portugal. A further victory for Badovini and BMW on Sunday in the CIV domestic series race at Monza puts the Italo-German combination in a good position to repeat the feat in the next round of the FIM Cup at the Autodromo Nazionale in a week's time. Read article
Improved electronics for Yamaha duo at Assen
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Thursday, 22nd April 2010, 7:45 GMTThe Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team are preparing for the Dutch round with renewed confidence following rider James Toseland's first podium of the year last week in Valencia and a second Superpole of the season by Cal Crutchlow. Toseland's podium in particular was key in moving him several places up the championship table, he arrives in Assen now sixth in the standings and looking to go higher this weekend. "I've always loved racing at Assen," said James Toseland. "I've had some good results and always gone well there. I've won on the Ducati and on the Honda so it would be great to get a win on the Yamaha as well. The bike has come on again from Portugal to Valencia and we knew from the last round what we needed to improve for Assen. We've had to do a lot of work to get competitive but on the positive side there's still room for more and we're not far from the front. We can improve quite a lot more and we're going to be a strong package. On a personal side I always try hard, after the Australia crash where I broke my hand, then my mistake in qualifying in Portugal and missing out on the last Superpole session in Valencia by a thousandth of a second I thought I was going to have one of those seasons. But to go from ninth to third and be up there fighting at the front was a massive boost of confidence for me and the garage so it was good to reward the hard work of the team with a result." "I had a good race in Assen last year in Supersport," said Cal Crutchlow, "but it's going to be difficult this weekend as a couple of other teams have tested there already with the new circuit changes including the new faster section at the back. Hopefully in the first free practice we'll get to grips with it. There are some new changes coming this weekend with the bike so let's hope we've made some progress and see how we get on." Team manager Massimo Meregalli added: "I think Assen can be a good weekend for us, the characteristics of the track are well suited to our bikes, which is an advantage we have to make the most of. The developments focussed on our electronics areas from the last two races have been steadily progressing forwards which gives me a confidence that we can achieve some good results with both James and Cal. The step forwards with our mapping means we should be able to deliver better corner exits for both riders, and the new clutch we'll be trying this weekend will hopefully mean we can get them off the line quicker to stay at the front in the crucial first corner." Read article
WSBK: Sykes racks up the points at Valencia while Andrews crashes out
Source: bikeracenews.com - Sunday, 11th April 2010, 20:36 GMTKawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes continued where he left off in Portugal two weeks ago by claiming another double points haul in round three of the 2010 Hannspree World Superbike Championship at Valencia in Spain this weekend After qualifying in 18th, the 24-year-old Yorkshireman from Huddersfield battled to a fine 11th place in the opening [...] Read article
Crutchlow takes second Superpole in succession
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Saturday, 10th April 2010, 17:42 GMTCal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) took his second Superpole of the year for Yamaha with a 1'33.615 at Valencia, leading a front row that will comprise of Cal, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) and Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Checa had been even faster around the 4.005km circuit today than Crutchlow was in Superpole 2, but not in the final Superpole session when the final grid places were determined, leaving Carlos second overall. Crutchlow had set pole at the previous round in Portugal but this one was maybe even more of a surprise, as he had only been 15th in regular qualifying before Superpole started. The second row will be headed by Troy Corser on his BMW Motorrad Motorsport S1000RR, the best Superpole qualifying result for the German manufacturer in WSBK. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare), Jonathan Rea (HANNspree ten Kate Honda) and Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Ducati) were ranged out behind Corser, with Lanzi crashing in the final section of Superpole, and sticking in eighth place. The top seven places featured machines from six of the championship's seven manufacturers, after a day of incredibly close competition for grid spots. BIG NAMES JUST MISS OUT An intense Superpole 2 session saw some big names out of the final session, notably both factory Ducati riders, Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, who went tenth and 11th respectively. James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) missed Superpole three by one thousandth of a second, and starts ninth. Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) had a major issue in Superpole 2 and had to pull off the track in a plume of smoke. Michel Fabrizio set the fastest time in Superpole 1, the Suzukis of Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli close behind him. The first four riders to miss the Superpole cut proved to Sheridan Morais, Andrew Pitt, Tom Sykes and Ruben Xaus, with Xaus 17th and only missing out on a higher starting place by one thousandth of a second. CLOSE COMBINED QUALIFYING BEOFRE SUPERPOLE FIGHT Max Biaggi (Alitalia Aprilia) was the fastest man in the final regulation qualifying session, beating Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea) to second place by only 0.002 seconds. The provisional front row was the same as the first day, with Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) and Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) third and fourth. Fifth place went to Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki), with the top five separated by only 0.068 seconds. A remarkable 11 riders in total went within 0.258 seconds of each other in combined qualifying, and 18 riders were covered by a single second. Cal Crutchlow: "I hope when we get to Silverstone I will have a reception like Carlos had here! We had a lot of pole positions in Supersport and had one here last year, so to come again and do it on the Superbike is really good. I feel we could have been quicker, but that is just me. If someone gets away at the front we could be in trouble so if we keep it a close race it should be good." Carlos Checa: "It is fantastic to be here in front of a home race crowd especially with the performance of this year, because I am feeling very strong with this bike. I really like this track and I hope to make a good race weekend. We worked quite well in practice and the bike works here. We are on the pace with the other people and it will be a very close race, I believe." Max Biaggi: "I feel good on the bike and Portimao was a good race for us last time out. I was happier for the team than myself. Back in Valencia we have not such good memories of last year but in the winter test we were pretty good, and now we are quite consistent with out lap times. Front row was the real goal because at this track it is very difficult to overtake. I think we have not such a bad pace and we will try our best. Our target is to put many heavy points on the table." Leon Haslam: "Our main objective was to get on the front row, and at Valencia there are such tight times, from front four to tenth place. We messed up a little bit in Superpole two, I used my qualifying tyre but got balked on my lap and had to use a second qualifier, which meant In the last part I was using a two or three lap old qualifier. I am feeling pretty good for tomorrow." Times: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.615; 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 1'33.840; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1'33.860; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'33.961; 5. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'34.059; 6. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'34.073; 7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'34.235; 8. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 1'34.261; 9. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.988; 10. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1198 1'34.021; 11. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 1'34.100; 12. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 1'34.246; 13. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1'34.273; 14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 1'34.280; 15. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 1'34''730; 16. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'34.394; 17. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'34.756; 18. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'34''894; 19. Pitt A. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 1'36.088; 20. Morais S. (RSA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'36.072; 21. Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.104; 22. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.117; 23. Andrews S. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.329; 24. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'36.524; 25. Resch R. (AUT) BMW S1000 RR 1'36.639 Supersport Qualifying Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) set the pole time with the final throw of the dice in the second qualifying session, posting a 1'35.658, a new track best that took him by surprise. Just behind was long-time qualifying leader Joan Lascorz (Motocard.com Kawasaki), with Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Motocard.com Kawasaki) filling the front row places. The best Triumph machine belonged to local rider David Salom (ParkinGOBE-1 Triumph) 1.Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR 600RR 1'35.658; 2. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.740; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR 600 RR 1'36.002; 4. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'36.015; 5. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'36.252; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'36.291; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'36.346; 8. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR 600 RR 1'36.593; 9. DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph 675 Daytona 1'36.698; 10. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR 600 RR 1'37.064 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Qualifying Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) took pole with his Friday best time of 1'36.952, making this his second pole success in two attempts. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) was second quickest, and Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) third. Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) improved his time today but starts fourth in tomorrow's race. Times: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'36.952 (148,713 kmh); 2. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'37.418; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'37.482; 4. Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 1'37.495; 5. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'37.502; 6. Barrier S.(FRA) BMW S 1000 RR 1'37.594; 7. Lussiana M. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1'37.784; 8. Lammert D. (GER) BMW S 1000 RR 1'37.886; 9. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'37.984; 10. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 1'38.491 Superstock 600 European Championship Race Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior), Fred Karlsen (MTM Yamaha) and Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) battled it out in the 11-lap Superstock 600 race in Spain, but there was to be a late change of the final result. Marino finally took the win, by 0.413 seconds from Karlsen, although Karlsen was later disqualified for non-conformity to technical regulations. Guarnoni is now classified second, and Bernardino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) third. In the championship Guarnoni now leads on 45 points, while Marino and Lombardi are tied on 25. Times: 1. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR 600 RR 18'31.319 (142,711 km/h); 2. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 0.441; 3. Lombardi B. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 4.668; 4. D'Annunzio F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 16.637; 5. Fanelli D. (ITA) Honda CBR 600 RR 16.883; 6. Elliot J. (GBR) Honda CBR 600 RR 17.410; 7. Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 23.806; 8. Le Coquen S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 26.262; 9. Vrajitoru (ROU) Yamaha YZF R6 35.197; 10. Carvalho (POR) Yamaha YZF R6 39.683 Championship standing (after 2 Rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 45; 2. Marino 25; 3. Lomabardi 25; 4. Fanelli 22; 5. Lanusse 20; 6. D'Annunzio 20; 7.Karlsen 16; 8. Elliot 14; 9. Carlero Perez 13; 10. Major 13 Stk600 - Pirelli BEST JUMP FORWARD Davide Fanelli (All Service System by QDP), from 15th to 6th (9 positions). Read article
Suzuki set controls for heart of the sunshine
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Thursday, 8th April 2010, 11:57 GMTA winter Valencia test that went well and an early season start that would have been difficult to improve on for Leon Haslam fills the entire Alstare Suzuki team with confidence as they return to Valencia this weekend. Sunshine and dry conditions are predicted for the return to Spain and for Leon and his team-mate Sylvain Guintoli, those conditions will be ideal to get the most out of their Suzuki GSX-R1000 machines. Haslam leads the championship by a convincing margin of 16 points after two rounds and four races, and is happy to be going to Valencia for the next round. "I really like the track and I think I showed that when we tested here in December," said Leon. "It's a very technical track and it's important to get a good set-up as early in the weekend as possible and then have a good qualifying. The twins have gone well here before, but I'm sure we can give them more than a run for their money this weekend. It's going to be another hard fought weekend, but I'm confident that we're going to be very competitive and will be going all out to make sure I finish the weekend still at the top of the standings." Last time out in Portugal, Guintoli could not quite replicate his near-winning form from race two at Phillip Island, but he is still in seventh place in his rookie season, and knows Valencia as well as anyone in the class. "Like Leon, I also like the track and, over the years, I've done well here, though this will be my first time racing it on a Superbike," said the English-based French rider. "It's a technical circuit and a bit like a big go-kart track and you spend a lot of time trying to keep the front wheel down. After Portimao I sat down and thought a lot about what happened during the weekend and tried to work out what had gone wrong and why. I realised that actually I was not that far off, but this championship is so competitive that even if you are just a little bit off, you suffer a lot. It's so important to do well in practice, do well in qualifying, be on the first two rows of the grid and then put everything together in the races. If you don't, then it becomes a big battle just to get into any sort of contention. I think Valencia and the next race in Assen should be good for us and I'am looking forward to both tracks and getting back to the kind of form I showed in Australia." Read article
Yamaha men moving on and up
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 7th April 2010, 17:30 GMTThe season started in somewhat traumatic fashion for the official Yamaha Sterilgarda SBK team, but since then the direction has been onward and upward, particularly for Cal Crutchlow (photo), who secured a Superpole win and then a fabulous podium at Portimao last time out. For the reigning Supersport World Champion Valencia is a known circuit, but he will have to unlock the secrets of his 2010 machine before he gets to race day on Spain. "After my podium at Portimao I'm keen to get to Valencia," said Cal. "I think we can continue our good streak. I don't know how the bike will be there as we used the 2009 bike in our winter test but I'm optimistic. Lots of the teams have tested there recently so we've got some work to do, but hopefully we'll be up there and have a good result." James Toseland is keen to get into podium contention as soon as possible and he knows that despite some early wobbles both man and machine have the capabilities required. "We've made massive improvements from Australia to Portugal," said the two-time SBK champion, "which obviously the podium from Cal proved. The second race in Portimao was particularly good for me. I had a really good race pace but couldn't get to front which was disappointing as I started from too far back. The Valencia test went well in the winter and I've done a lot on the Spanish track compared to Portugal. I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting stuck in, being able to concentrate on the bike set-up without having the added focus of learning the circuit." Read article
Ducati doit reagir
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Tuesday, 6th April 2010, 18:35 GMTEn ce début de saison, le bilan du team officiel Ducati est particulièrement maigre. Cinquième du classement provisoire, Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox Team) n'a qu'un seul podium à son actif : une troisième place en Australie. C'est à peine mieux pour son prometteur coéquipier Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) qui occupe la quatrième place du classement provisoire. Il est grand temps pour ces deux hommes de réagir et le rendez-vous de Valence doit impérativement être le théâtre du rebond du team officiel Ducati sous peine d'être largement distancé au championnat. Car en tête, personne ne les attend, à commencer par le leader actuel Leon Haslam (Team Suzuki Alstare). La GSX-R est rapide sur le tracé ibérique et le britannique fera parti des grands animateurs du week-end. On espère que ce sera aussi le cas de son coéquipier Français Sylvain Guintoli (Team Suzuki Alstare) dont la prestation à Portimao est restée modeste en comparaison de son week-end Australien. Naturellement, les regards se porteront sur Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) auteur d'un spectaculaire doublé au Portugal et qui bénéficie d'une Aprilia aux performances exceptionnelles. Mais les vainqueurs potentiels sur le circuit Ricardo Tormo ne manquent évidemment pas. A commencer par Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) terriblement régulier depuis le début de la saison au guidon de sa Ducati privée. Il est d'ailleurs le premier pilote Ducati classé devant les deux officiels. Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) doit lui aussi impérativement et rapidement s'imposer en course. Après avoir obtenu son premier podium de la saison au Portugal, le jeune Anglais court dorénavant pour offrir à Honda sa première victoire de la saison. Une motivation partagée par son compatriote Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team). Auteur de la pole position à Portimao et de son premier podium en catégorie Superbike, l'officiel Yamaha a redonné des couleurs à son team après une campagne Australienne laborieuse. On attend en revanche de voir si son coéquipier James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) sera tout à fait remis de sa blessure à la main. Lui qui reste sur un début de saison très mitigé et qui n'a pas encore connu la moindre place sur le podium Superbike en 2010. En essais à Valence en début de semaine, le team BMW place de sérieux espoirs dans les résultats du week-end prochain. Malgré les efforts du team et ceux du pilote leader Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), le palmarès de la S 1000 RR reste pour l'heure relativement modeste, et ne parvient toujours pas à intégrer le top 5. Chez Kawasaki, on fait face aux déboires physiques de Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) qui sera remplacé à Valence par Simon Andrews, pilote officiel Kawasaki en championnat britannique. Il pourra compter sur l'aide de son compatriote et équipier chez les verts, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) pour tenter de maîtriser la ZX-10R sur un circuit qui ne lui est pas toujours favorable. Championnat du monde Supersport Après son erreur en course au Portugal qui lui a coûté la victoire et surtout de précieux points au championnat, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) doit absolument se rattraper. Troisième du championnat à onze points du leader Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda), l'Irlandais n'a plus d'autre solution que d'attaquer et de viser la première place sur le podium à Valence. Un challenge pas si évident que cela à réussir quand on connaît le talent et la motivation du local de l'étape, l'Espagnol Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) qui mettra le week-end prochain un point d'honneur à briller devant son public comme il l'a fait en 2008, sur une Honda. Sur le podium à Portimao, Michel Pirro (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) semble avoir pris toute la mesure de sa machine officielle et tentera lui aussi de remporter la victoire. Sa première en championnat du monde Supersport. Peu satisfait de ses résultats, deux cinquièmes places, depuis le début de la saison, Fabien Foret (Team Lorenzini by Leoni) vise évidemment le podium à Valence. Un résultat tout à fait envisageable si l'on en juge par les performances de sa Kawasaki privée. Quant à Matthieu Lagrive (ParkinGO Triumph BE1) qui découvrait sa toute nouvelle monture au Portugal, il voudra effacer le souvenir de sa chute dès le premier tour de la course. La Triumph semble être une moto qui convienne à son style de pilotage et le Normand continuera son travail de développement au guidon de la 675 Daytona à Valence, avec à la clef, une jolie place en fin de course. Coupe FIM Superstock 1000 Record du tour, pole position et victoire, Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK Team) a fait briller les couleurs de la BMW S 1000 RR à Portimao pour son entrée en lice en catégorie 1000 Superstock. Une demi-surprise pour les plus informés des observateurs qui attendaient cette BMW comme une des motos favorites de la compétition en 2010. Malgré son expérience et son assurance, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) n'a pas pu faire grand chose face à cette terrible rivale. Seul pilote capable de suivre le rythme de la BMW, il termine deuxième de la course au Portugal. A Valence, sur un tracé plus technique et moins rapide, le duel pourrait être plus serré entre les deux hommes. Un duel que devrait arbitrer les deux autres Français en forme du moment, à savoir Loris Baz (MRS Racing) troisième au Portugal et Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Junior Racing Team) qui termine au pied du podium après une très belle remontée. Trois pilotes en tout cas capables de faire retentir la Marseillaise dans l'enceinte de Ricardo Tormo. Championnat d'Europe Superstock 600 La Marseillaise qui a retenti en Superstock 600 à Portimao suite à la victoire de Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing) devant son coéquipier Romain Lanusse (MRS Racing) pourrait à nouveau être au goût du jour à Valence. Car le petit prodige de la catégorie cette saison est bien parmi le clan Français si l'on compte aussi sur Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior) qui, parti de la pole position au Portugal, a chuté dès le premier tour. Florian aura donc à cœur de montrer à ses plus sérieux rivaux cette saison, qu'il faudra compter avec lui. Derrière, Cyril Carillo (Team ASPI), Steven Le Coquen (Team ASPI) et Nelson Major (Team Trasimeno) continueront d'apprendre une catégorie faite sur-mesure pour les jeunes talents. Read article
