Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

World Superbike Championship Round 12: Assen. Hollan RACE TWO Bayliss again got the holeshot, followed by Xaus and Edwards. Edwards wasn't third for long, though, as Yanagawa went around the outside of the pack and Edwards to claim third in turn one at Haarbocht. Chili fQllowed just behind in fifth. Xaus started pressuring Bayliss 8nd the Spaniard moved around the Australian at the fast left-hand kink of Veenslang. Chili also started to make his presence felt on Edwards, chasing the Texan hard. At the end of the second lap the order read; Xaus, Bayliss, then Chili, Edwards, and Corser, who had moved ahead of Yanagawa and Toseland. Edwards fought back, though, taking Chili back for third at Madjik. The two began to fight as the leading Ducatis pulled away. Chili got past Edwards, only to have the Texan retake him, so that by the end of lap three, there were two seconds between Bayliss in first - back past Xaus - and Edwards in third. Eventually, Chili and Corser got past Edwards, with Yanagawa getting by the reigning champ on lap five. With 3.16 seconds between Bayliss in first and Edwards in fifth, the American's title was slipping away. Fast. A gamble on front-tire choice went backward as the pack blasted through and he was left helpless in its wake. Three more riders had passed Edwards by lap seven: Toseland first at Ruskenhoek, with his own Castrol Honda teammate Tadayuki Okada doing likewise a few corners later, followed by Lavilla. As they crossed the line to begin lap eight, Bayliss and Xaus were together, with Corser a little way back, followed by Chili, Yanagawa and Hogdson, who was catching the Japanese rider swiftly. Further back, Edwards' misery continued, as he diced with an off-form Bostrom for 11 th place, the title now mathematically with Bayliss. Only two-tenths of a second separated Bayliss from Xaus at the end of lap eight as Chili started to reel in Corser and Hodgson finally got past Yanagawa. Chili took a few more laps to get past Corser, doing so on lap 11, while two laps later Yanagawa retook Hodgson. W@u1)@] ~(][][j)@ff0[j)@fJf1 @DDff]0fJD[j)5@0D~DDfj[j) fX1®f!!J[Ji)@ 7J @ ©CfJ&)®D5 I2!lCfJD[Z&) @[fi] I2!lCfJli@L? A strange day in the Supersport world, in a class accustomed to upset, intrigue and excitement. "Disruption" is a good-enough word to use, and there was plenty of that when the flag dropped on a "dry" Supersport race. Three laps later, the dry became wet, as the heavens opened and the rains commenced. There were to be two races- with the sensible decision taken that the three laps already completed would be deducted from the 16 scheduled ones, to make for an aggregate affair. There was enough action in the first laps to last for 16, however. Katsuaki Fujiwara, from pole, was fastest away, heading into turn one with Paolo Casoli, Karl Muggeridge, FabriziO Pirovano and Kevin Curtain right behind him. After a single circuit, Jorg Teuchert, starting from 16th, was up to 11th, behind James Whitham, while at the front Alstare's purple-and-yellow solidarity was enhanced by Muggeridge, sliding into second place. Even the bizarre sight of a scooter being ridden the wrong way around the internal gravel access road could not put the leaders,pff their stride, as Muggeridge and Casoli swapped places in second and third. . Pere Riba was joining the tail end of the leading group toward the end of lap two, passong Muggeridge, Caseli and Fujiwara for third. On lap three, Pirovano was past the Aussie challenger and at the De Strubben hairpin an attempted CUI inside the Italian resulted in Muggericlge pitching off as he asked too much of his front Dunlop. With three laps run, a dark cloud appeared to threaten the racetrack, just as Caseli had moved into a miniscule .061-of-a-second lead over Fujiwara. Before the fourth lap was completed, the rain cloud started to deposit its load over the western edge of the track, and the leaders raised their hands shortly before the starter raised the red flag to halt proceedings. With just over seven seconds covering the top 16 riders, the second leg was expected to be close. The dry restart, called as a wet race, with no further stoppages allowed for rain or a drying track. had Casoli back into his leading place from race one, with Pirovano though almost immediately, before Casoli's hard overtake at Madijk put him back ahead_ Fujiwara was in third, cheek by jowl with Aussie rider Kevin Curtain. Just behind, championship hopeful Andrew Pitt was heading off the challenge of fast-starting Whitham, with Riba and Christophe Cogan in tow. An attempted pass by Whitham on Curtain, on lap six of the combined race distance, put Whitham down three places when he ran wide. Pirovano, a fast but often no longer threatening force in Supersport racing, made the most of his new suspension settings to run with the younger guns, with the veteran sitting in second, and overall third on aggregate. Riba, on his employer's home ground, was getting the hurry on by lap seven, the same lap that Fujiwara disposed of both Piro and Caseli, getting close to Casoli on the way past, as both men pulled in their elbows to avoid a coil ision at speed on the back section of track. By lap seven Fujiwara was ahead, in both road and aggregate times, with Riba doing his best to squeeze past into the lead_ A coUision between Kyro Verstraeten and another rider put the 24-year-old Dutchman into the tire wall, with preliminary X-rays showing no serious damage, despite going in hard with neck and shoulder. Riba took the lead at the chicane on the end of lap eight. Fujiwara went past again, on the 18 SEPTEMBER 19, 2001 • cue •• n e _ so Xaus - obviously making a point to anyone watching - went past Bayliss for the lead on lap 13 and opened a gap of three-tenths at the end of that lap. His Australian teammate was trying hard to stay with him, hitting the grass on the exit of the chicane as he tried to keep up. After proving his point - and getting the fastest lap of the race with a 2:04.74 on lap 13 - Xaus waved his left leg at Bayliss, as they came up on Veenslang for the 15th time. Meanwhile, Hodgson had repassed Yanagawa and Corser was fighting with Chili for third. Edwards had made a small recovery to 10th place. Bayliss took the win from Xaus, Corser, Chili, Hogdson, Yanagawa, Laconi, Toseland, Lavilla, Edwards, Bostrom, Chambon and Okada. eN Circuit Vendnnthe Assen, I1t1I18nd Results: September 9, 2881 [Round 12 of 131 QUALIFYING: 1. Troy Boyli•• (2: I 0.922): 2. Ruben Xaus (2:11.126); 3. Akira Yangaw8 (2:11.382); 4. Pier-Fronce.co Chi!; (2:13.776); 5. James Toseland (2: 14.047); 6. Gregorio Lavilla (2:14.058); 7. Troy Corser (2:14.120); 8. Colin Edwords (2:15.296); 9. Todoyuki Okodo (2:15.770); 10. Regis laconi (2:15.~85); 1.1. Ben Bostrom (2:16.627): 12. Juon Boutisto Bo~o (2:16.647); 13. Sterhane Ch8mbo~ (2:16.892); 14. GioVlmni BU5S~i (2: 7.581); 15. Ned Hodgson (2;17.937); 16. lucIO Pedereini (2: 18.257); 17. Morea Boreioni (2:06.165); 18. Hitoyasu lzutsu (2:06.736); 19. Mauro Sanchini (2:06.826); 20. Peter Goddord (2:07.145); 21. Broc Porke. (2:07.524); 22. Betrond Stey (2;07.757); 23. Mllrtin CTaggill (2:08.190); 24. Steve Martin (2:08.243); 25. Robert (JIm (2:09.060); 26. Ferdinonde Di Maso (2: I 0.958). RACE ONE; 1. Troy Boylis. (Due); 2. Ruben Xaus (Due); 3. Colin Edwards (Hon); 4. Pier· Francesco Chili (Suz); 5. Neil Hodgson (Due); 6. Troy Corser (Apr); 7. Tedeyuki Okade (Hon); 8. Akirll Yanagawll (Kew); 9. Regis Leconi (Apr); 10. Jomes Toselond (Due); 11. Ben Bostrom (Due); 12. Gregorio Lavilla (Kaw); 13. Stephane Chambon (5uz); 14. JU~1n Beutistll Borja (Yam); 15. Lucio Pedercini (Due); 16. Giovanni Bussel (Due); 17. Peter Goddord (Ben); lB. Martin Croggill (Due); 19. Mouro Sllnchini (Due); 20. Steve Martin (Due); 21. Marco Borelani (Due); 22. Brae Parkes (Due); 23. Ferdinando Di Maso (K8W); 24. Hltoy8su Izutsu (Kaw). Tune: 27 min., 8.793 sec. Distance: 48.75 miles Averoge speed; 107.75 mph Margin of victory: .166 sec. Fastest lap: Ruben Xaus, 2:04.165, lap 9 RACE TWO: 1. Troy Bayliss (Due); 2. Ruben X8US (Due); 3. Troy Corser (Apr); 4. Pier-Francesco Chili (Suz); 5. Neil Hodg.on (Due); 6. Akiro Yanagawa (Kew); 7. Regis Laconl (Apr); 8. Jemes Toseland (Due); 9. Gregorio Lavill8 (Kaw); 10. Colin Edwards (Hon); 11. Ben Bostrom (Due); 12. Stephane Chambon (5uz); 13. Tadayuki Okeda (Hon); 14. Giovllnni Bussei (Due); 15. Lucio Pedercini (Due); 16. Hitoyasu lzutsu (Kew); 17. Mauro Sanchinl (Due); 18. Marco Borciani (Due); 19. Peter Goddard (Ben); 20. Steve Martin (Due); 21. Robert (JIm (Kow); 22. Bertand Stey (Han). Time: 33 min.• 31.896 sec. Distance: 60 miles Average speed: 107.37 mph Margin of victory: .221 sec. Fastest lap: Ruben X8US, 2:04.744, lap 14 WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 12 of 13); 1. Troy Boyliss (369/6 Win.); 2. Colin Edwards (317/4); 3. Ben Bostrom (286/6); 4. Troy Corser (264/2); 5. Neil Hodgson (254/1); 6. Pier-Froncesco Chili (225/1); 7. Ruben Xou. (191/1); 8. Akiro Vonagowo (170); 9. Todoyuki Okodo (149); 10. Gregorio Lavillo (147); 11. Regi. Laconi (127); 12. S'eph011e Chombon (114); 13. Jome. To.elond (91); 14. Hitoyasu Izutsu (63); 15. Makoto Tamada (SO). Upcoming round: Imola, Italy, September 30 drag to first comer, Haarbocht. With Casoli fading rapidly to fourth, he began to come under the influence of his biggest championship rival, Andrew Pitt, on the Fuchs Kawasaki, although the fastest lap of the race was set on lap eight by Whitham, a lap-record-fast 2:08.748, only three-tenths off Fujiwara's new track lap record from qualifying. By the halfway mark, the order on the track was Riba, Fujiwara, Pirovano, Casoli. Pitt, Whitham, Teuchen (screaming through the field in pursuit of his slipping championship crown) and the fading Curtain. The leading three, Fujiwara, Riba and Casoli, harried each other and swapped the lead between them as Casoli at first fell back and then staned a small charge to get back into contention. Within half a lap of his recovery of form he had worked his way up to second, and clung to the tail of Riba before passing him at Madijk comer on the brakes. Riba and Pirovano had a collision at the entrance to the De Strubben hairpin, dropping the Spaniard two immediate places and a final stop before completing another lap - with a puncture due to small slash in his tire. The leaders were now one group again, with the addition of Pitt, Whitham and Teuchert to the leading duet of Casoli and Fujiwara. Another fall of rain may have been responsible for the crash suffered by Fujiwara on lap 15, when he exited of the Ramshoek comer and fell heavily at speed. His crash, unseen by Casoli, had two main effects. One was to make most of those behind slow somewhat, as the rain staned to fall more heavily, and the second, a development of the first idea, was that Casoli carried on and created a comfortable gap on his pursuers. Pitt looked to be second before Whitham, unaware of his own position due to the aggregate nature of the race, put up a fight for his teammale Casoli and put on a show for his British fans by passing Pitt, just as the track was starting to get seriously wet as the downpour increased. A fanfare of air horns welcomed the Belgarda boys home into the final chicane, although the Englishman was actually third on corrected time_ Teuchert. hurting from the pain of his damaged finger, hurt even more when he realized that his fourth place was only good enough for 13 points, which leaves him 21 behind Casoli and 10 behind Pitt in the run up to the final hurdle. His comments about needing a miracle ring true enough, but isn't that just what he got last year, at Brands? Ughting might strike twice, but it will have to pass through Casoli and probably Pitt before Teuchert will see the beneflt of it_ But at least one championship will take itself to the final race to be decided - and fittingly enough, it is the most competitive class of aU that has that honor. "This is mission accomplished for me," Casoli said. "Before the start of the race I knew all I had to do was control where Pitt was, and after the first race I was about 1.7 seconds ahead of him. From then on I rode to stay ahead of him, knowing that it was not really necessary to win. But at halfdistance I realized that my tires were in good condition, so I attacked again and won the race. That was it. It's obviously very good to go into the final round with a better lead than I came here with, but I hope to win at The eoocc World Supersport race was by Paolo Casoll Imola_ " 121 on the . .Igarcla Yamaha. _n

• Cover