FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England August 1, 2010 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Cal CRUTCHLOW, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R1), 18 laps, 37:48.348 2. Jonathan REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR), -2.070 seconds 3. Leon CAMIER, Great Britain (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -8.834 4. Leon HASLAM, Great Britain (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -13.232 5. James TOSELAND, Great Britain (Yamaha YZF-R1), -13.258 6. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -13.568 7. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -13.963 8. Shane BYRNE, Great Britain (Ducati 1098R), -14.432 9. Jakub SMRZ, Czech Republic (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -16.399 10. Carlos CHECA, Spain (Ducati 1098R), -19.874 11. Ruben XAUS, Spain (BMW S1000RR), -26.268 12. Josh BROOKES, Australia (Honda CBR1000RR), -28.003 13. Noriyuki HAGA, Japan (Ducati 1098F10), -28.550 14. Tom SYKES, Great Britain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -30.117 15. Lorenzo LANZI, Italy (Ducati 1098R), -30.415 16. Ryuichi KIYONARI, Japan (Honda CBR1000RR), -58.607 17. Roger HAYDEN, USA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -63.157 18. Tom BRIDEWELL, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR), -63.298 19. Akira YANAGAWA, Japan (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -80.285 20. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -80.419 21. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Ducati 1098F10), -4 laps, DNF, mechanical/retired 22. Broc PARKES, Australia (Honda CBR1000RR), -11 laps, DNF, crash 23. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Germany (Honda CBR1000RR), -12 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Troy CORSER, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -17 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Standings (after 20 of 26 races): 1. Biaggi, 373 points 2. Haslam, 313 3. Rea, 243 4. Checa, 204 5. Crutchlow, 188 6. Toseland, 179 7. Haga, 177 8. Camier, 164 9. Fabrizio, 160 10. Corser, 155 11. Guintoli, 151 12. Byrne, 123 13. Smrz, 71 14. Xaus, 69 15. Scassa, 53 16. Sykes, 50 17. Lanzi, 46 18. Neukirchner, 40 19. Chris Vermeulen, 10 20. Parkes, 9 21. Hayden, 7 More, from a press release issued by Silverstone Circuit: World Superbike crowd celebrates two all-British podiums at Silverstone A crowd of 65,000 was at Silverstone this weekend (30 July – 01 August) to celebrate two all-British podiums at Britain’s round of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship. Cal Crutchlow powered to victory in both of Sunday’s two World Superbike races, and was joined on the podium by fellow-Brits Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam in the first race and Jonathan Rea and Leon Camier in the second race of the day. It was the first time the riders had raced on Silverstone’s new 3.666 mile Grand Prix circuit and the Brit-pack put on a fantastic show in front of their home crowd. The revised layout was a resounding success, providing plenty of overtaking and receiving a big thumbs-up from the riders. “What a weekend for the Brits”, exclaimed Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited. “I am delighted with the way that today has gone. We have had a great crowd here and they have been treated to some fantastic racing topped off by two all British podiums”. “Importantly, we’ve had another fantastic reaction to the new circuit layout. The World Superbike riders have raved about the new track, echoing the sentiments of the MotoGP riders and Formula 1 drivers who have raced here in recent weeks. Both the old and new sections of track are providing plenty of overtaking opportunities. “The MCE British Superbike Championship will complete our hat-trick of bike events in 2010. Taking place at the end of September, the Silverstone round is the penultimate race weekend of the series and, like MotoGP and World Superbikes, will be staged on the Grand Prix Circuit.” Speaking on World Superbikes’ return to Silverstone Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, said: “It is great to be back at Silverstone, racing at the Home of British Motor Sport. The circuit looks fantastic, they are continuing to invest in further developments around the venue and the riders love the new layout. We hope this is just the start of a long term relationship with Silverstone.” For further information on future events at Silverstone, including Round 11 of the MCE British Superbike Championship on 25-26 September, visit www.silverstone.co.uk. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) BATTLES AGAINST THE BRITS TO TAKE FOURTH IN RACE 1 AT SILVERSTONE Silverstone (UK), Sunday 1st August : a very difficult day for the Ducati Xerox team and its riders Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga at Silverstone today; after two extremely hard-fought races, in which the British contingent of riders dominated proceedings, the best result for the Italian factory team was a fourth place finish achieved by Michel in Race 1. In that first race Michel started well from third on the grid, holding on to that position for the first seven laps, behind Jonathan Rea and Cal Crutchlow. Passed by Leon Haslam during the eighth lap, Fabrizio began to lose ground in the final stages due to a lack of rear traction, but was nevertheless able to hold fourth all the way to the finish line, to take some solid championship points. Noriyuki, starting from the fourth row, had problems from the start; the rear of his 1198 was sliding around to such an extent that it was difficult to open the throttle out of the corners. He was lapping in eleventh position for the best part of the race but the level of feeling worsened in the last laps, and the Japanese rider unfortunately lost three positions, eventually closing the race in fourteenth place. Both riders made small changes to the set-up of their 1198 machines before the second race in order to improve rear tyre wear but unfortunately these modifications did not work to their advantage. Michel’s rear tyre moved around so much that he had to make an unexpected pit-stop on the eleventh lap. Having changed the rear tyre, he immediately returned to the track but, having lost a lot of ground and lamenting continued lack of grip, he returned definitively to the garage on lap fourteen, thus putting an early end to his race. Noriyuki benefited to a slight extent from the changes made but feeling was not great and he was unable to do better than thirteenth position. Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 4th, Race 2 – DNF) “Well as we expected, the British riders really had the bit between their teeth today and it was all I could so to stick with them. I didn’t expect Haslam to get past when he did but once he did, there wasn’t much I could do about it, but nevertheless I’m pretty satisfied with fourth to tell the truth. In race 2 my rear tyre was moving around a lot and having lost a lot of ground I came in to try to change it but once I went back on track I realized that nothing had changed and, out of the points zone, I retired from the race.” Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 14th, Race 2 13th) “In Race 1 it was really difficult as the rear was moving around all over the place and so I couldn’t open the throttle when I needed to or make up positions as I’d hoped to. We made some changes for the second race but they didn’t improve my overall feeling with the bike. It seemed like I needed more traction and I could only push so much. It was a very difficult weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider, Jonathan Rea, finished second in both today’s tenth round World Superbike championship races at Silverstone in the UK. The two 18-lap encounters around the revised 5.902km Silverstone circuit were won by British rider Cal Crutchlow, with Leon Haslam and Leon Camier each taking a third place to make two all-British podiums. Starting from second place on the grid, Rea, 23, grabbed the holeshot in both outings, leading the first for the opening eleven laps as he and Crutchlow built a commanding lead over third placed Haslam. Race two was almost a carbon copy, with Rea leading until lap 15, when Crutchlow again hit the front and made a break for the flag. The results strengthened Rea’s hold on third place in the championship. After two difficult qualifying sessions, Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, made a radical change to the rear of his CBR1000RR for morning warm-up and ran with the setting for the races. In the first, he was able to climb from his grid position of 18th to 11th at the flag. The German looked set to repeat the performance and break into the top ten in race two, before a mechanical problem forced his retirement. Jonathan Rea 2nd and 2nd In race one Cal had a little bit more pace than me, where I was missing maybe a couple of tenths a lap. The bike was working very well, but we got let down by the tyre a little bit, I think, because it definitely felt a lot different to the one I used in warm-up this morning. I thought I might have the pace in race two, but well-done to Cal he did a great job and rode absolutely superbly. My team gave me a great bike this weekend that allowed me to at least fight for the wins here. I’m really happy and really enjoyed riding at Silverstone this weekend and we’ve had a couple of good results t o take into the summer break. Max Neukirchner 11th and DNF For me, the first race was one of the best this season. OK, it wasn’t the best result but it felt great having a bike that I could fight for positions with. I had a lot of fun and I was able to pass a lot of other guys it was a very good race for me and felt a little bit like a win! We basically went back to the setting that I used in race two at Assen and it allowed me to brake later and accelerate more early. The start of race two was like the first and I made some good lap times behind Haga, but then the engine broke after seven laps. Without that I felt like maybe a top ten was possible so I can take some positives into the summer break and the next round which is in Germany. Ronald ten Kate team manager The last two race weekends have brought us some very good results, after the issues we experienced before. The team seems to have bounced back really well. Of course, you always aim for a win on Sunday, but two seconds are good enough results which put us closer to second place in the championship and further away from the guys behind us. We have another test planned before we head off Nurburgring which will hopefully bring us the last couple of tenths that we seemed to be missing here today. Max has definitely has his upward strength from Brno and he took that into his race one result. In race two, a mechanical problem stopped him storming through the field again, but, all in all, we are positive. More, from a press release issued by Alitalia Aprilia: With two proud races, Max Biaggi maintains the distances in the world rider rankings at Silverstone. With two great comebacks team mate Leon Camier ends race 1 in sixth place and takes third in race 2. Silverstone, 1 August 2010 Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team comes away from the English weekend at Silverstone with a smile on their faces. Ranking leader Max Biaggi fought with a blade between his teeth in the “fray” of the unleashed home turf riders, determined more than ever to do well. The results speak clearly: the Roman Emperor with fifth and sixth place maintains a strong hold on the world championship leadership with 60 points advantage over the nearest follower, Haslam, while Aprilia stands out in the manufacturer standings at 53 lengths ahead of Suzuki. Two great races for Leon Camier as well. The reigning British Superbike champion was not intimidated by his sixteenth place on the starting grid and took sixth place in the first race after an unbeatable comeback. Even better in race 2, he rode to the third step of the podium. This is what Max Biaggi had to say about the English round: “I am coming out of this weekend quite satisfied, even if these are not the placings I could have achieved. It was difficult here, above all adjusting my RSV4 on the bumpy Silverstone track. In race 2 I finished sixth behind five English riders. I think that the home field factor really gave them some extra motivation.” “A fantastic day confesses Leon Camier without hiding his emotion Too bad about the sixteenth starting position. Unfortunately mistakes in Superpole come at a high cost! As the practices showed, the feeling on this circuit was very good from the start and in the race I was able to really push, truly earning a lot of positions. In the first race I finished behind my team mate. In race 2 I was able to lock onto the front group straight away, although Crutchlow and Rea unfortunately were already away. I’m happy for a podium in front of my fans. It’s also a nice reward for my team and for Aprilia.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Crutchlow posts two wins as Biaggi’s lead is trimmed Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) was the undisputed star of the Silverstone show as he added two race wins to his Superpole triumph on Saturday. He is also the new lap record holder, thanks to a 2’05.259 lap in race one. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) lost a small amount of ground at the top of the championship, with his fifth and sixth places today as Leon Haslam scored a second and a fourth on his Suzuki Alstare machine. Biaggi now has 373 points, Haslam 313, a difference of 60 with three rounds and six races left to run. The 65,000 weekend crowd saw Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) take two strong second places, consolidating his third place overall in the series on 243 points. Leon Camier, Biaggi’s team-mate was third in race two, his first podium since Miller Motorsport Park in May. The all-British podium in race one was the first since Assen this year, and five British riders filled the top five places in race two, the first time this has happened for UK riders in WSBK history. Fourth place rider in the standings, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was seventh and tenth today and is on 2004 points, with Crutchlow moving up to fifth overall, on 188 points. James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) had to settle for eighth and fifth places today, remaining sixth in the rankings, nine points behind Crutchlow. For some fancied runners raceday was hard, with Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) dropping down the order to finish tenth in race one, then crash after passing Biaggi early in race two. Race 1 Cal Crutchlow took his first career WSB race win in this 18-lap race, also giving his Yamaha Sterilgarda team its first win of the year. Cal eventually pushed away from early leader Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) at lap record pace, setting his 2’05.259 best on lap 13. Third place rider was Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), which made it a clean sweep of British riders on the podium at their home race. Michel Fabrizio was fourth, having qualified on the front row on his Ducati Xerox machine. Biaggi was sixth, and his team-mate Camier sixth. Cal Crutchlow: “I think that one of the nicest things about the win is that we repaid Yamaha back for their efforts. It’s not been easy on us, we’ve been trying hard all year, but I’m absolutely ecstatic about bringing the win home!” Jonathan Rea: “Cal quite simply had a little more pace than me in the race, a couple of tenths a lap on average. My bike worked very well, but I think we got a bit let down by the tyre. It’s nice to be on the podium and I’m enjoying riding around Silverstone.” Leon Haslam: “It was a hard fight and Johnny and Cal have had a good pace all weekend, I managed to catch them a little bit but dropped off towards the end. It was a bit frustrating as they looked as if they were having a lot of fun!” Results (with Pirelli Race Tyre Selection front/rear): 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 37’47.851 (168,64 kph) (C/A); 2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1.621 (C/A); 3.Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 11.433 (A/A); 4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 15.874 (C/A); 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.085 (C/A); 6.Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.532 (C/A); 7. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 18.250 (A/A); 8. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 18.938 (C/A); 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 22.997 (C/A); 10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 25.830 (C/A); 11. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 30.972 (A/A); 12. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 31.808 (C/B); 13. Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32.193 (A/A); 14. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 33.206 (A/A); 15. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 34.207 (A/A); 16. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 35.939 (C/A); 17. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 38.282 (C/A); 18.Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 39.923 (A/A); 19. Yanagawa A. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’21.620 (A/A); 20. Bridewell T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’21.678 (A/A); 21. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1’21.793 (B/A) Race 2 Crutchlow completed a perfect weekend with a double win, pushing away in the last few laps to overhaul long time leader Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) once again. Third went to another British rider Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), fourth to Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) and fifth to James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda); complete domination from the home riders. Max Biaggi raced to sixth, maintaining a healthy championship lead despite being beaten by Haslam twice today. Cal Crutchlow: “As people have said, it’s a dream come true for a lot of Brits, three on the podium in both races. All credit to the fans, they gave us tremendous support here today. What a brilliant day for Yamaha and a brilliant day for me! I couldn’t believe both wins came at once, I would rather have had one earlier in the year and one today, but we’ve been fighting for this all the year and here it is.” Jonathan Rea: “Half-way through the race I was thinking ‘Have I got the pace?”. It was a bit slower than race 1 but well done to Cal he rode absolutely superb. On my side the team gave me a good bike this weekend. I’m really happy and enjoyed riding this weekend, it’s a good result to go into the summer break with.” Leon Camier: “It’s a dream come true, from 16th to third, you could never imagine doing it! We’ve been having a bit of a rough time lately, but this weekend has more than made up for it. For this race, the team just told me to get involved so I’m so happy with the result.” Results: 1. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 37’48.348 (168,603 kph); 2.Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2.070; 3.Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 8.834; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 13.232; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.258; 6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 13.568; 7.Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 13.963; 8. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 14.432; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.399; 10. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 19.874; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 26.268; 12. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 28.003; 13. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 28.550; 14.Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 30.117; 15. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 30.415; 16. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 58.607; 17. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’03.157; 18. Bridewell T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’03.298; 19.Yanagawa A. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’20.285; 20. Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’20.419 Pirelli Race Tyre Selection (front/rear): All riders on same solutions with the exception of Guintoli who changed to the “A” rear for Race 2. Points (after 10 rounds of 13): 1. Biaggi 373; 2. Haslam 313; 3. Rea 243; 4. Checa 204; 5. Crutchlow 188; 6. Toseland 179; 7. Haga 177; 8. Camier 164; 9. Fabrizio 160; 10. Corser 155. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 385; 2. Suzuki 334; 3. Ducati 297; 4. Yamaha 256; 5. Honda 254; 6. BMW 174; 7. Kawasaki 57 World Supersport Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) was the long time leader but a strong charge from Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) made the final laps a close contest, with Laverty finally re-passing the former champion to take the Silverstone win. Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) was a hometown hero, taking his first podium in this class. In the points standings, Sofuoglu now leads Laverty by 203 to 186. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and fast qualifier Roberto Tamburini (RT Racing Yamaha) were both injured in a crash that halted the first attempt to race, and caused a complete re-start. Results: 1. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 34’35.068 (163,829 kph); 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 0.220; 3. Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 12.451; 4. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 13.683; 5. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 13.839; 6. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 15.699; 7. Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 16.709; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 17.593; 9.Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 22.837; 10.Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 23.092; etc. Points (after 10 rounds of 13): 1. Sofuoglu 203; 2. Laverty 186; 3. Lascorz 168; 4. Davies 126; 5. Rea 83; 6. Harms 82; 7. Salom 80; 8. Lagrive 65; 9. Fujiwara 60; 10. Pirro 58. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 245; 2. Kawasaki 172; 3. Triumph 136; 4. Yamaha 16 Superstock 1000 Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) had to work hard to get to the front of the field for his seventh straight win of the year, but in taking a full points score he also secured the outright championship win. Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Junior Race Honda) hit the front early on but could not hold off the lap record pace of Badovini, in race or championship terms. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) finished third, but the day belonged to BMW and Badovini, the new Superstock FIM Cup champion. Results: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 21’45.830 (162,71 kph); 2. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 0.149; 3. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 4.841; 4. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 13.288; 5. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 14.642; 6. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 14.807; 7. Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 15.070; 8. Burrell B. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 15.151; 9. Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 17.146; 10. Lammert D. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 22.153; Points (after 7 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 175; 2. Berger 86; 3. Magnoni 84; 4.Antonelli 73; 5. Giugliano 62; 6. Baz 54; 7. Barrier 47; 8. Petrucci 43; 9. Bussolotti 37; 10. Mahr 35. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 175; 2. Honda 129; 3. Suzuki 78; 4. Ducati 59; 5. Yamaha 56; 6. Kawasaki 46; 7.KTM 30; 8. Aprilia 18 More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Silverstone – Races. Sunday, 01 August 2010. Weather conditions: Overcast. Temperature: Air: 19 – 24 °C, Track: 22 – 27 °C Number of riders participating: 24 from 14 teams Fastest lap Race 1: Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) 2:05.259 min Fastest lap Race 2: Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) 2:05.421 min It was a tough weekend for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Silverstone (GBR). The expectations for the tenth round of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship were not fulfilled. The young team experienced a tough Sunday. In the first race, both Troy Corser (AUS) and Ruben Xaus (ESP) struggled with the grip. Starting seventh respectively eighth, Troy finished the first race in tenth position, Ruben in 17th. Changes for the second race brought remarkable improvements and Troy was able to fight for the podium. But after passing Aprilia’s Max Biaggi in lap two, he hit a bump and slid into the gravel. Troy was unhurt. Ruben lost positions at the start, but was able to fight his way back through the field to finish in eleventh position. In the championship standings, Troy is tenth with 155 points, while Ruben sits in 14th position with 69 points. In the manufacturers’ standings, BMW is sixth (174 points). Nevertheless, there is reason to celebrate tonight for BMW Motorrad: Ayrton Badovini (ITA) from Team BMW Motorrad Italia STK wrote history. Being the first rider of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup to win all seven out of the first seven races, he secured an early title victory in the series. Troy Corser: Bike: BMW S 1000 RR Result Race 1: 10th , Gap to 1st : 00:25.830 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 2:05.981 min Result Race 2: DNF “I am disappointed. The first race was terrible. I had problems with my tyres and just tried to finish the race. For the second race we made some changes on the bike in order to improve the mechanical grip. I again had a good start, had good grip and the bike felt well. So I started to push straightaway. I could ride as I wanted to ride, and the bike was doing what I wanted. I managed to pass Max Biaggi, but unfortunately I hit some bumps in the first corner and the bike just slid away.” Ruben Xaus: Bike: BMW S 1000 RR Result Race 1: 17th , Gap to 1st : 00:38.282 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 2:07.087 min Result Race 2: 11th, Gap to 1st: 00:26.268 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 2:06.639 min “The first race was a bit of a disaster. All in all we simply lacked grip, and the tyres were spinning all of the time. As a result, I finished only 17th . We tried to fix the problem for race two and changed a few things. The second race was not too bad, although my start was not the best. I was on the bumpy inside part of the track, the front was really unstable and I could not open the gas. So, a lot of riders passed me. On top of that I had to get used to the new set-up. But I stayed calm and after a few laps I was familiar with the set-up. The bike was much faster and I could do really good lap times. Again, we learned a lot for the future.” Berthold Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “This was a weekend to forget. We expected a lot more, because we thought that the track would suit us better. Unfortunately we were struggling with some grip problems which we had not experienced like this before. For the second race, the team changed some significant parts on the bike. Troy’s bike was much better, but unfortunately he crashed after one lap. He was just unlucky. He was fighting, but lost the front on a bump. The positive point was that Ruben could do quite consistent lap times in the second race. Right after the start he lost a couple of positions. But he was able to fight back. As a professional race team we have to use the experiences from this race for the next race. Let us look forward positively. Heads up und push hard towards the next race weekend to do it better. Congratulations to Ayrton Badovin and Team BMW Motorrad Italia STK for winning the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. They did a excellent job.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Crutchlow takes double victory and claims Silverstone for Yamaha Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike YZF-R1 rider Cal Crutchlow made it two in a row today at Silverstone, delivering the double win at his home race. The British rider ended a flawless weekend´s riding with a masterful display of race craft. A good start from pole position in race one saw him quickly into second behind Johnny Rea. Crutchlow then played the waiting game, comfortably following the Honda rider just 0.1 seconds behind until mid race before taking the lead. He surrendered briefly to Rea but then re-took quickly and pulled away to build a 1.6 second lead as he crossed the line to claim his maiden win of the championship. Race two saw a repeat of the first with Crutchlow quickly settling in behind Rea, again maintaining a gap of just 0.1 to 0.2 seconds until just three laps from the end when he again pulled out to take the lead. The Yamaha YZF-R1´s incredible pace saw him take the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, building a two second advantage as he crossed the line to deliver the long awaited double victory for Yamaha. Team mate James Toseland made the most of his less than perfect grid position start in both of today´s two superbike races. The first saw him move as high as sixth whilst chasing down the Aprilias of Max Biaggi and Leon Camier before finally settling for eighth at the line. The second race saw an even more determined Toseland pushing on hard. The British rider spent much of the race battling with Leon Haslam for fourth place having carved through the ranks and taken championship leader Biaggi mid race for fifth. The battle between the two Brits went to the chequered flag with Toseland less than four tenths behind Haslam across the line. Cal Crutchlow´s incredible performance means he leaves Silverstone having jumped up from tenth to fifth in the rankings, now sitting on 188 points, 55 points behind Carlos Checa in third. Team mate James Toseland remains in sixth place, now on 179 points as they head to the Nurburgring at the beginning of September after the summer break. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (1st, 1st) ˝We´ve been trying so hard all year to achieve a win, I´m ecstatic that it has happened at my home race. It´s been a tough weekend with all the Brits trying hard but we knew we had the pace. We were worried about tyre wear but it wasn´t too bad. It was a little bit cooler in the first race which helped our bike as well. We now need to carry on and fight for the rest of the season. It´s been a dream come true today, three Brits on the podium for both races is brilliant. The British fans have been fantastic, they came out today and gave us tremendous support all round the circuit, a brilliant day for me, a brilliant day for Yamaha, Sterilgarda and all our other sponsors. All credit to Johnny Rea he rode really well in both races but I was able to pick him off with a couple of laps to go.˝ James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 5th) ˝Race one was ok, the set up we used wasn´t perfect but I made the most of it. We made a massive change from race one to race two, we switched to something closer to what Cal was using in the first race, it´s the first time we tried it and it really helped us. Hopefully we´ve found a good direction for the next race. A big thanks to the team for the change between the races, it got me from where I was in the first to not too far off the podium in the second. Leon Haslam rode a great race and really covered his lines, I could have been more aggressive with him but I didn´t want to spoil his championship chances.˝ Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager ˝This kind of feeling has been missing and finally I got it back today. Cal delivered a fantastic weekend, he proved that he was the fastest here in all the practices. He rode two really good races, I have to give my compliments to him, he rode perfectly. These results come thanks to all the efforts the team have put in over the last few months. James also proved he was fast and on the pace, the crash yesterday was unfortunate and mean that he couldn’t do the last Superpole heat and so had a less than perfect start. He had some problems in the first with the balance of the bike but was much better in the second. We came here with big expectations and finally we have some good results.˝ More, from a press release issued by Tyco Racing: Top Twenty for Bridewell at Silverstone World Superbikes Tyco Racing rider Tommy Bridewell battled against the odds to record a pair of top twenty finishes in today’s British round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship at Silverstone. Aboard the 2007 Honda Fireblade with backing from new sponsors Tyco Security Products, the 21-year-old from Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire battled against the world’s best and had to overcome a number of suspension issues which meant he could only record a row six start for today’s two 18-lap races. However the team worked hard to overcome their problems and started to progress, meaning Bridewell took to the grid this morning in positive mood hoping for a good result. In the early stages of race one, Bridewell battled with former double British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, eventually getting the better of the Japanese rider as well as a number of other factory World Superbike regulars. Going into the final stages of the race Bridewell moved into the top twenty but any hopes of claiming a position further up the leaderboard were dashed when the Honda ran out of fuel on the final corner. Nevertheless, Bridewell got a resounding ovation from the bumper crowd meaning his efforts were appreciated by the British fans. In the second race Bridewell got a better start and was circulating just outside the points when on lap three an electronic problem meant he dropped back down the leaderboard but with a determined ride, claimed his best ever World Superbike result with 18th place. Bridewell and his team are now focusing on the next round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship which takes place at Brands Hatch next weekend and have been boosted by the knowledge that Tyco will remain as title sponsor for that meeting. Tommy Bridewell: “I think it’s the hardest I have ever worked at a race meeting in all of my career. We were chasing set up with the front suspension whilst trying to learn a brand new circuit and competing against bikes which were so much faster than ours, so to come away with two top twenty results is fantastic. I have to say a massive thanks to both my team and our sponsors, Tyco, and it has been a wonderful experience to have them on board and hopefully we can reward them with a decent result at Brands Hatch. Our focus is British Superbikes this year, we have learned so much from this weekend, and hope that will stand us in good stead for a good result next weekend.” Ian Woollacott, team owner: “A pair of top twenty placings in a World Championship event for our little team is amazing and just goes to show what can be done. Tommy’s done a great job, as witnessed by the fantastic crowd’s reaction, so we are hoping to take a lot out of this meeting and see what we can do at Brands Hatch. It’s been a crazy week getting everything together but hopefully our sponsors, Tyco, have enjoyed their first experience of top class motorcycle racing and we look forward to welcoming them back at Brands Hatch.” The next round of the MCE Insurance Championship takes place at Brands Hatch over the weekend of 6th/7th/8th August. More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports Kawasaki: A Clutch of Points at Silverstone Circuit The Kawasaki Racing Team finished in the points in front of 65,000 British fans at Silverstone this weekend for round 10 of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship. British rider, Tom Sykes was amongst seven other hungry Englishman this weekend battling for a result on the new Silverstone layout in front of their home crowd. The 24-year-old showed promising pace during qualifying and was aiming for solid top ten finishes but only managed to grab two points from a battled 14th and 18th place from his fourth row start. Japanese replacement rider, Akira Yanagawa finished the weekend with dual 19th places after showing improvement on his lap times in each session and race. The ex-World Superbike race winner struggled with the transition to Pirelli tyres and a new circuit layout but enjoyed being amongst the WSB paddock again for the first time since 2002. Cal Crutchlow managed to steal the show from Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea in the final stages of both races for the double win, with Leon Haslam and Leon Camier each taking it in turns for third making an all-British podium in front of the enthusiastic English crowd. The Kawasaki Racing Team and Tom Sykes will venture to Brands Hatch next weekend to compete in the British Superbike Series before the three week August WSB break. Sykes remains in 16th position in the rider championship standings with three races remaining on the 2010 racing calendar. Tom Sykes: “I’m obviously disappointed with the way the weekend has turned out for both myself and the team. Our qualifying position wasn’t so bad and I had decent starts but I really struggled with exiting the corners which was a shame really as the Kawasaki engine is really strong. It’s frustrating to watch the guys who are up there who I know I can run with but it’s just one of those things and hats off to the team as they never give up and they keep pushing hard and making the best of what we’ve got. On a positive note we improved race two by nine seconds and the changes we made are definitely in the right direction so we need to keep exploring the perimeters of the ZX-10R and remain positive and keep pushing one hundred and ten percent.” Akira Yanagawa: “I enjoyed racing again in the World Superbike Championship but I am a bit sorry for this result as I know that Kawasaki were aiming higher for this weekend. My lap times were increasing in every session and I feel that after more time I would have had a better position. The circuit is fun to ride and in some places a bit scary but I like to ride these kind of tracks for that reason. I would like to thank Kawasaki and Paul Bird Motorsport for this opportunity.” Paul Risbridger Team Manager: “We are disappointed having only come away with two points this weekend after what looked like a promising start in qualifying and a hopeful couple of top ten finishes. Tom showed good pace during Superpole but struggled with consistent lap times during the races. It was good to work with Akira-san who has a lot of experience on a Kawasaki machine. He was getting stronger each time on the bike but struggled with the transition to Pirelli tyres as well as a new circuit to learn, however it was a pleasure to have him in the team. It was good to see a great crowd here at Silverstone and I’m sure the spectators enjoyed the British podium spectacle.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: LEON TAKES A SUPERB PODIUM AND A FOURTH TO CLOSE THE GAP ON MAX. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam endured two tough 18-lap races at Silverstone today, taking a superb third in race one and a fourth in race two to close the gap on series leader Max Biaggi. But It was a day of frustration for the young Brit because he felt he could’ve challenged for the wins if things had gone his way a bit more and that would’ve narrowed the gap even more. Leon’s team mate, Sylvain Guintoli, suffered with a too hard tyre in race one and ended 12th. He used a softer tyre in race two and had a much better race, finishing 7th. Britons filled all six spots of both podiums today. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) took his first WSBK victory in race one and then followed it up with another win in race two. Jonathan Rea (Honda) took runner-up spot both times, with Leon Haslam taking third in race one and Leon Camier (Aprilia) taking third in race two. Leon – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 4th Generally, I feel that today has been a bit frustrating because I think it could’ve and should’ve been better. When our package is perfect, I know I can challenge for wins, but when it is not, it can be a bit of a struggle and that’s how it was today. I made a bad start in the first race, but managed to close the gap on the leaders and was getting ready to mount an attack on Jonathan (Rea), but had gearbox problems for the last seven laps, so couldn’t push harder and get closer to him. A podium is not bad though, and it was good to be up there with two other Brits. We used a different engine in race two, but everything else was the same, including the tyres. However, this time the grip feeling was completely different and I really had to work hard to keep in the top four or so. On the last lap, I had a big fight with James (Toseland). He passed me, but I was determined to get him back and that’s what I did. On the last turn, he tried to get round the outside of me at the beginning of the start-finish straight and hit me, breaking my tail fairing and exhaust bracket in the process. It was a bit of a hairy moment, but happily we both stayed on our bikes and crossed the line OK. It was a tough end to a hard race but, just like race one, I was happy to finish ahead of Max (Biaggi). It would’ve better, if I could’ve got some more points, but that’s how it went today. Sylvain – Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 7th I am actually not sure what happened in race one, but we had tried some harder compound tyres in the morning warm-up and had really got on with them. So we used them in the first race and they behaved completely differently! I just couldn’t get anywhere near the same lap times and so struggled throughout the race. It was very frustrating to say the least, but I know that if I had gone any faster, I probably would’ve crashed. For me, race one was a complete disaster. Obviously we didn’t want to take that risk again for race two, so we used the same tyre that everybody was using and I was much happier. It was much more like it. I was able to get into a better rhythm, go faster and get close to my best lap times. I got pretty close to Max (Biaggi) and would’ve loved to have passed him because that would’ve been good for the team. More, from a press release issued Althea Racing: Silverstone, August 1st 2010 – It was not a particularly satisfying weekend for Althea Racing. Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne, despite having taken fifteen points per head, had some recriminations. Carlos did not make a strong start in either race and this undoubtedly penalized him; the Spaniard concluded the races seventh and tenth. “it’s hard to catch up once you’ve made bad starts”, said Checa. “I wasn’t able to catch the group ahead and it was only towards the end that I was able to match the pace of the guys up front, except for Crutchlow and Rea that is, who were on another level. We weren’t totally sorted with the bike and neither I nor my bike demonstrated our full potential.” Shane, on the other hand, had other problems that left him in ninth and eighth position. “They were very difficult races”, said Byrne. “In the first I had tyre problems that prevented me from doing any better. In the second we sorted the bike and changed the tyre and it went better. Then towards the end I found myself battling against Guintoli but he was faster than me and I missed out on seventh position.” Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of the team declared, “It was pretty obvious that there was a difference between us and the protagonists. During the weekend we tried various configurations regarding suspension and set-up but we didn’t find what we were looking for. Starting from further back it was not easy to catch the leading group, the others were stronger than us today. However, from Nurburgring we want to maintain a good level so as to finish as well as we can in the standings, by taking as many points for Ducati as possible.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Sykes Into The Points In England WSBK, Silverstone, Great Britain, 1 August 2010 Tom Sykes scored points for 14th place in race two at his home round of Silverstone, remaining 16th in the overall championship standings after two long races in round ten of the championship. Tom was 18th in race one, but after some changes to his technical set-up he improved his finishing position in race two, after what was an overcast but dry day of high-speed action in the English countryside. Sykes praised the power of his Kawasaki’s engine at this track, which allowed him to qualify 13th in Superpole, and he thinks the team have found a good direction to work in for the future. Akira Yanagawa was riding as a stand-in for Chris Vermeulen and had a tough raceday trying to get himself up to speed on his World Superbike spec Ninja ZX-10R machine. From 25th place on the grid he improved to 19th in both races, and therefore missed out on scoring points. The next outing for the team in World Superbike will be at round 11, at the Nürburgring in Germany, in early September. Tom Sykes: “We changed some geometry on the bike set-up between race one and race two and that helped us. I am struggling on the mid point to the exit of the corners, which is a shame because if we can turn the bike the way we want the Kawasaki engine is really strong. We have proved that this year in places like Monza. It is a little bit frustrating to see some other guys up there because I know I can run with them, but it is just one of those things. Hats off to the team, they keep trying new things. We improved our race time in race two by nine seconds, which is a positive. The way we went in race two is definitely a move in the right direction and we need to go further and explore the limits of that.” Akira Yanagawa: “I improved my lap times today but I think I just needed more practice and more time to get used to the tyres and this WSB specification machine. Overall I am happy because I did not crash and I got some experience with new technical parts and these Pirelli tyres. It demands a different riding style. The experience coming back to WSB was enjoyable but I wanted to get better results.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Typical unsettled British weather today in Silverstone, with mixed conditions throughout the day, for the tenth round of the Superbike World Championship. On a dry race track Roger Lee Hayden started from the fifth row of the grid while Matteo Baiocco started from the sixth. Race one was really unlucky for both team Pedercini riders. During the first lap Hayden was involved in a crash with Aussie Broc Parkes, ending the race in the gravel. Baiocco, near to the end of the race, was forced to re-enter the box because of some set up and tyres problems. In race two after a quick start Hayden started to struggle with a lack of rear traction and due to this problem he finished the race in seventeenth position, close to the points zone. Baiocco fought for all the second race with Kawasaki official rider Akira Yanagawa, reaching the twentieth position. Superbike race 1 : 1) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 2) Rea (Honda) 3) Haslam (Suzuki) 4) Fabrizio (Ducati) 5) Biaggi (Aprilia) 6) Camier “¦.. NC Hayden (Kawasaki) – NC Baiocco (Kawasaki) Superbike race 2 : 1) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 2) Rea (Honda) 3) Camier (Aprilia) – 4) Haslam (Suzuki) – 5) Toseland (Yamaha) “¦.. 17) Hayden (Kawasaki) “¦”¦ 20) Baiocco (Kawasaki) Matteo Baiocco :” I’m disappointed because in the first race we had a bit of a problem with rear grip and I was forced to retire from the race. Before the second race my technicians worked on the rear suspension and during the first laps of the race the bike performed well. With worn-out tires I felt some vibrations coming from the rear wheel but not like in the first race. I was able to ride the bike better and to reach the twentieth position, fighting with Yanagawa until the last corners”. Roger Lee Hayden :”It was really disappointing to be out of the race one in such a fashion. When I overtook Parkes I touched with him and I crashed, fortunately without any physical consequences. Race two was really very difficult one for me. My start wasn’t so bad but when I tried to overtake several riders I didn’t feel enough grip on the rear wheel. I’m sorry because my team worked very hard during the full weekend and we didn’t reach the right results. I would like to thank all of them for their fantastic work here in Silverstone”. More, from a press release issued by Team PATA/B&G Racing: The PATA B&G Racing team will leave Silverstone satisfied with the good work done by the crew which enabled Jakub Smrz to further learn the new bike. The team outdid themselves this weekend, qualifying in the front row and gathering important points in the overall riders standings as Smrz remained in the thirteenth position. On the other hand, Lorenzo Baroni was not very lucky in World Superstock 1000, in the opening race of the day. The Italian had to retire due to a technical issue while he was battling for the podium, in what could have been his best performance of the year. In race 1, Jakub Smrz made a good start and stayed in the leading pack. After a few laps, he went wide and was relegated to eighteenth place. Nevertheless, he fought back to finish thirteenth , in front of Lanzi and Haga, both on Ducati. In race 2, he got a good start, but dropped to tenth position in the first few laps. He gave it his all and was very fast in some sections of the track to finish in ninth place. JAKUB SMRZ | Aprilia RSV4 | 13th , 9th: “I’m happy with what we did this weekend. My feeling with the bike has improved a lot and I’m confident that I will score an important result very soon. I still had some trouble in the slower sections though, mainly because of chattering on the back, but I’m pretty close to finding a good base setup. I hope to further improve next round”. LORENZO BARONI | Ducati 1098R | retired: “I was going very fast without going over the top. Too bad it had to end like this. In the previous rounds it was all me, this time around it was a technical issue. I am however satisfied with my performance, hopefully will be able to repeat it in the upcoming round”. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager: “We did a good job in these three days and did what we had scheduled. We scored better results compared to Brno, but we can do better than this and so our goal is to improve in the remaining rounds”. More, from a press release issued by Honda: British World Superbike at Silverstone Sunday August 1 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport race report 5.902km circuit attendance 65,000 all weekend, claimed Weather: Dry, overcast Temperature 19 to 21 ambient, 22 to 26 track REA TAKES TWO SECOND PLACE FINISHES AT HIS HOME RACE Jonathan Rea from the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team went all out for wins at his home race meeting and recorded two second place finishes which improved his points score in the championship and made his overall third place a little more secure. Starting from second place in each 18-lap race at this long 5.902km circuit, Rea led for the majority of each race, his only company the eventual winner of each leg, Cal Crutchlow. At the top of the championship Max Biaggi now leads race one podium finisher Leon Haslam by 373 points to 313, with Rea on 243, 39 points ahead of Carlos Checa with three rounds and six races remaining. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Max Neukirchner went 11th in race one, his best result since the Assen race weekend in April, but a technical problem saw him drop out of race two. Having qualified 18th Max and his team found an improvement for raceday and he was riding well inside the points in race two before he was forced out. ECHO CRS Honda rider Broc Parkes had a very difficult raceday after making it into Superpole and starting 19th on the grid. A collision with another rider saw him fall on the first lap of race one, and then another fall put him out on lap eight of race two. He stays 20th overall, two places behind Neukirchner. The HM Pant Honda duo of Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes had a tough time in their WSBK wildcard weekend, with Brookes 16th in race one and 12th in race two, Kiyonari 21st in the opener and 16th in race two. They had qualified 17th and 22nd respectively. Laverty fends off Sofuoglu in thrilling Silverstone race Pole winner Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) led in impressive form in what was a delayed 16-lap Supersport World Championship race. He would eventually repel the attack put in by championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and in the overall points standings Sofuoglu now has 203, Laverty 186. This was Laverty’s sixth win of the season and it came in composed style as he led in the early laps, closely followed for a time by Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda), who eventually finished third – his first podium at this level of racing. Sofuoglu passed first Rea and then, after some Honda infighting between Kenan and Eugene, Sofuoglu took a lead that lasted until the middle of the final lap. Laverty made a clean pass and held off his championship rival by only 0.220 seconds. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) and Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha) were injured in a first corner crash when the race was first started, and the severity of the crash was such that the race was stopped and restarted over its full length. Medical reports indicated that each rider suffered a broken left collarbone, while Lascorz also sustained two fractured vertebrae and three broken ribs. For Gino Rea a home race was the perfect place to take a well-deserved third place. He had qualified sixth on the grid, and stuck to the more experienced Laverty until the sheer pace of the leading two riders pushed him back. He is now fifth overall, one place ahead of sixth. Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia scored yet another career best in a WSS race, finishing sixth today after a disappointing qualifying result of 12th on Saturday. The Portuguese rider was also as close as he has ever been to a podium finish, as part of a fighting group that was chasing Rea. Massimo Roccoli from the Intermoto Czech Honda team was ninth in the race, eighth in qualifying, as he pushed hard at a circuit he enjoyed riding at. Ronan Quarmby replaced the injured Michele Pirro in the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team, but had a difficult race after falling and hurting his left leg in practice. He qualified 18th and finished in the same position. The next round is to be held at the Nürburgring, Germany, between September 3 and September 5. WSBK Rider Comments Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 2nd and 2nd – 3rd overall. “In race one Cal had a little bit more pace than me, where I was missing maybe a couple of tenths a lap. The bike was working very well, but we got let down by the tyre a little bit, I think, because it definitely felt a lot different to the one I used in warm-up this morning. Halfway through the second race I was thinking I had the pace to win it but well done to Cal, he rode absolutely superbly. My team gave me a good bike this weekend, and I was able to fight for the race wins at least. I really enjoyed this weekend, and it was a good result to go into the summer break with.” Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 11th and DNF – 18th overall. “Yesterday we were nowhere and we made some good improvements today. The first race was brilliant, and I was able to ride some good laps, but in race two the bike just stopped. I think it would have been possible to get into the top ten. That was the first time this year I feel I have had a very good feeling from the bike and I could fight with some other guys.” Broc Parkes, ECHO CRS Honda: DNF and DNF – 20th overall. “We made some real improvements to the bike this weekend and we qualified for Superpole so it was disappointing to not finish each race. But the bike is a lot better and the team did some good work.” WSS Rider Comments Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 2nd – 1st overall. “A good race because all weekend we had a difficult time until Sunday morning, when we improved things a lot. We got a lot of points but I want to win. I have to wait until the Nürburgring again now. At the moment the bikes are very similar and I think that Eugene was a bit faster than me.” Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda: Winner 2nd overall. “I thought I had got away early in the race because Gino was pushing me so hard, and we were doing 2.09 lap times, which were like my pole time. I knew the pace was quick and that he was a few seconds over those behind us, so I did not expect Kenan to come through as quick as he did in the end. When he caught me I dropped back behind, because I knew from practice that he was strong towards the end of the lap. I wanted to get a look at him, an there were a few areas where he was weak and I made my move at the first of those.” Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda: 3rd – 5th overall. “I can’t believe I am standing on the podium; it is where I have wanted to be for so long. It was an exciting race and I was behind Eugene for quite a lot of it and I didn’t think I would be able to hang onto him. I tried my hardest but as my tyres started going off I started dropping back a bit.” Miguel Praia, Parkalgar Honda: 6th – 11th overall. “My best finish in World Supersport so as I am getting older I am getting better, like good port wine! I got pushed wide early on and that was a problem, as I lost two places. I pushed hard to try and catch Robbin Harms but I left my pass on Lagrive too long – maybe two laps too long – and missed my chance. But it was great being only three seconds or so from a podium so it was a good step.” Ronan Quarmby, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: 18th – no ranking overall. “It wasn’t my luckiest weekend. Basically they found out his morning that I had cracked my ankle yesterday, and there was a bit of swelling. I had an injection and I could not feel the pain but after the red flag my foot was in my boot for a long time, so it started getting painful even after two or three laps. But it was a good experience doing my first World Supersport race.” Massimo Roccoli, Czech Intermoto Honda: 9th 13th overall. “I started well but we could not keep the early pace, so we went from sixth on lap one to ninth. We got some points and it was good for the team for Gino to take third place.”