ROAD RACE
WORLD SUPERBIKE
CHAMPIONSHIP
By Johan Vandekerckhove
Photos by Gold & Goose
0
MONZA, ITALY, MAY 10
I'I.~
have cracked the co.de to ride
UU
the RC45 hard," Colin Edwards
II said on Friday evening. Two
days later, he backed up those words
with results. The Texan not only won
the first World Superbike race of his
career, but he did it all over again just a
few hours later in the second leg of the
Italian round of the series - sweeping
both races in what was easily the most
successful day of racing in the young
American's life. It was a much-deserved
and long-awaited victory for Edwards,
who almost saw his career go down the
drain just a year ago at Monza when he
crashed after being hit by Jean-Philippe
Ruggia and suffered a broken wrist. It
was an injury that ended up knocking
hUn out of action for the rest of the 1997
World Superbike season.
(Top) Carl Fogarty (2) led the way in both
races - but his leads over the factory
Hondas were short-lived.
(Right) Colin Edwards II (45) and Aaron
Slight (111) take charge.
Round 3: Monza, Italy
