HANNspree Ten Kate Honda in full force World Supersport Championship Round four: Valencia, Spain Event preview Following an action-packed round of the 2007 World Supersport Championship at Donington Park, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda will contest the fourth round with a full line-up of riders. Sébastien Charpentier returns to partner series leader Kenan Sofuoglu at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. While Sofuoglu secured another victory in the UK, the win was bitter-sweet as his team-mate Charpentier suffered pelvic injuries in a free practice crash that kept him out of the race. However, the Frenchman is recovering well and is working hard to ensure he is fit to re-join his team-mate this weekend. Sofuoglu heads to Spain with a 70-point tally after securing his second race win of the season at Donington Park. Top riders Charpentier, Curtain and Parkes were all absent from the 22-lap race due to injury and Fabien Foret retired early from the opening leg. Sofuoglu now holds a significant advantage over his rivals and is in a confident mood ahead of this weekend’s race. Ronald ten Kate. Team Manager: “Although we are still developing the new CBR600RR, we are already in a very good position with Kenan leading the championship. We are improving race by race and introducing a lot of new parts and set-up changes. The most important thing for us in Valencia is the return of Sébastien Charpentier, who is working very hard with his medical staff to be ready for the weekend. We know that he is fit to race, but we are also hoping that he is fit enough to be back up at the front because that is really what he deserves.” Sébastien Charpentier: “Obviously I was very disappointed not to be able to race at Donington, but these things happen and you have to concentrate on the future. I’ve been working really hard with my medical team in France to recover in time for the next race. My injuries are healing well and I am looking forward to getting back on the bike and racing again in Valencia.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I was really happy with the win at Donington and it has given me a good lead in the standings. We have tested in Valencia and I recorded some good lap times there so it’s a track I feel quite comfortable riding. Of course, I am hoping for a podium finish and think I have a good chance of achieving that. I am looking forward to racing with my team-mate again and I wish him and the other injured riders all the best in their recoveries – see you in Valencia!” More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Preview: Round 4, Valencia, Spain – 15th April MAX AND YUKIO LOOKING FOR PODIUMS IN SPAIN The fourth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain and is a track both Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama know well. Both tested at the 4.005 kilometre circuit last month, though Yukio probably should not have done so as he was still suffering the affects of his high speed crash during the Phillip Island race weekend just two weeks before. Last year, Yukio finished sixth in race one and was on course for a good finish in the second until a fall after seven laps. Max hasn’t done a WSBK race at Valencia, but he finished sixth there in his last ever MotoGp race in November 2005. MAX Riding a Superbike around Valencia is a very different to a MotoGP bike, but I am enjoying riding my Alstare Suzuki K7 and at least I have already put in some laps of the Valencia on it. I don’t find the circuit so technical, but it is a circuit where you have to have a good bike set-up if you want to make fast, consistent laps. There are many left hand turns, so finding a tyre that has good grip and will last is always a balancing act. I am optimistic of good results and looking forward to two more hard races. YUKIO My last time at Valencia (during testing) was not so easy because my shoulder was still very painful and sore from the crash at Phillip Island. But, I wanted to help test as much stuff as possible, so I put in as many laps as I could. My season so far has not gone the way I expected – too many crashes! At Donington, I had another crash (in practice) and, because I knocked myself out for a few minutes, the doctors would not let me race. So, at the moment, I have missed four races and I don’t like that. Practice and testing is OK, but I am missing race action. Valencia has mixed memories for me, but what is important is what happens next weekend. I need to have a good qualifying, a good Superpole and two good race results. I am going all-out for two podiums because I need them and I want them! More, from another press release issued by HAHNspree Ten Kate Honda: HANNspree Ten Kate Honda fights back in Valencia World Superbike Championship Round four: Valencia, Spain Event preview Following a weekend of mixed fortunes at Donington Park, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda heads to the fourth round of the 2007 World Superbike Championship with its series lead in tact. The event will take place in Valencia this weekend and both James Toseland and Roberto Rolfo are fighting fit and ready to race. Toseland will arrive at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit with the aim of increasing the five-point gap between himself and closest rival Max Biaggi. Having suffered a set-back at Donington Park when his CBR1000RR cut-out on the third lap of race two, the British rider is more determined than ever to prove his title-winning ability in Valencia. Team-mate Roberto Rolfo put in two strong performances in the UK to prove once again that he has the potential to rise into the top six in the ultra-competitive championship. The Italian moved from 16th place on the grid to ninth in the first race and from 15th to seventh in the second to secure his highest finish to date and ninth place overall in the standings. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Although at Donington we didn’t get the results we deserved, we still maintained the lead in the championship and we will be working hard to improve this further in Valencia. James is riding really well at the moment and we are still making small improvements to the bike race by race. Roby has successfully adapted his riding style to suit the CBR1000RR so hopes are high to have both the riders running up the front at Valencia. At the winter testing in Valencia we improved a lot on our previous lap times at the track, so we see no reason why we shouldn’t do well at the weekend.” James Toseland: “It was tough in Donington to go from the joy of winning the first race to not finishing the second, but I’ll be putting in all behind me and concentrating on the job we have to do in Valencia. I’m still leading the championship and that is where I said I wanted to be after Donington and I’ll say the same again – I want to leave Spain as the series leader and that is the goal for the whole team.” Roberto Rolfo: “I had a much better feeling on the bike at Donington and although I had bad luck once again in the Superpole, I feel like I have made really good progress. I am looking forward to Valencia – it is a track we have tested so we have already done some good work towards the set-up of the bike. I know that I can do better and I will be looking to prove that in Spain.”