Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128096
World Championship Superbike Series Round 1 : Circuito Ricardo ormo for.-- .... ...... LIIC-' (5lI) IlOl'" hoIesIIot In _ _ end heIcI _ before ........... Troy CorHr 131 took ... INcL TIle Honda of Colin EchNnIa (1). and T..,.. Obda (8) ,.. . . but _.,lIIIng -.at 80UIII from then. Okada .......... willi .-c:hIMIIc:aI pnible_ ..........rda faded to .mill 111-. frWIt.....,. By GORDON RITCHIE PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE VALENCIA, SPAIN, MAR. 9-11 f anyone was in any doubt that Troy Corser will be one of the main men to beat in the World Superbike Championship this season, then the Aprilia pilot's absolutely perfect display at Valencia was one hell of a retort. So commanding was the Australian's performance that it called to mind a certain legendary road racer countryman of Corser's. For the record, the new slim -line, 2001-model Corser took both race wins, the new lap record, his 26th pole position and the title-chase lead after the first event of the 26-race season. His critics, if any still exist, may point to the fact that Corser performed a similar early-season feat of brilliance in 1999 (at home in Phillip Island), and that yet by the end of the season, he and all his peer group were on the receiving end of a record thumping by eventual champion Carl Fogarty. But Corser's latest astounding performances were hard to ignore, with the 1996 champion sensing that he has a better chance of winning the II 20 MARCH 21, 2001 • cue •• title now than he has since his injurious Sugo crash, after going into the final round as hot favorite in 1998. "I was actually slowing down a bit toward the end of race two, and that almost made me crash," Corser said. "I closed the throttle a little early, and that caused the back end to lock up, because my tires were worn out by that time. I have been using a personal trainer in the winter, and I feel a lot stronger and fitter. My strength and endurance does not deteriorate so much in the middle of races now. It won't come so easy at every race this year, but we will win a lot more races than we did last year." A motivated, experienced team, the spur of an occasionally fast, bigname teammate, a better RSV, and the visible willingness to do what it takes to win all provide Corser with a high level of confidence, which he perfectly demonstrated at a Dunlopand Aprilia-friendly circuit. His crushing wins, ahead of Troy Bayliss, the only man consistently near Corser's plane of existence, were lessons in how to demoralize the competition, with Troy One hitting the front early and running such a hot early pace that even shot tires could neVIl's