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/128166
(Right) NoriyukJ Haga (41) put his poor Superpole performance behind him In both races, finishing fourth In race one and f"lfth In race two. Here, he fights with Ruben Xaus (111 and Rutter (partially hidden). (BeloW! Edwards has finished on the podium In every race this year, except the very first leg In Spain back In March. His near-perfect podium results, combined with five race wins, have kept him close to Bayliss, despite the Aussle's near-runaway season. too upright to crash, although I think Haga hurt himself on his tank!" The Japanese rider indeed had to stop on the slow-down lap, having been so badly 'squeezed' that he vomited inside his crash helmet. L&M Ducati's Ben Bostrom, sev- The second race was a really entertaining contest in this vicinity; with the contrasting riding styles of each rider clear for both casual fans and enthusiasts alike. Haga said of his part in it all, "This is the first time here on this bike and it was difficult to get the settings on the bike right. After 20 laps, the front tire was pushing and felt like it would tuck at any corner, but at the end I was able to catch and pass Xaus for fifth." Chris Walker had two good rides on his Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-7RR; sixth in race one and eighth in race two. "I felt really nervous this morning," Walker said. "Probably because of not feeling 100 percent due to the flu. It was difficult to keep up the pace in the race, but then I started to catch Bostrom in front and got excited. The bike felt good, and once Bostrom started sliding it affected his pace. I think I was sliding, earlier than him, but my bike didn't get any worse and I was able to get him on the last lap. What a great result." Hodgson's fellow HM Plant Ducati rider, James Toseland, managed a ninth place in race one but fell in race two, scoring no points. The British wild-card riders, so strong in qualifying, had relatively hard races, with Renegade Ducati rider Shane Byrne finishing with a brace of 10ths, and Rutter first a faller and then ninth. Byrne said of his second swim in the deep end of Superbike racing: "I'm pretty disappointed with that. I got held up at the start and then James [Toseland] made a mistake. I was sat behind him, and by then the riders in front had gone. I'm hoping for a better race two." He didn't really get it, although he did try his heart out. enth in race one, was a strong fourth in the second running, blitzing through a rolling maul involving Haga, Xaus, and veteran PierFrancesco Chili. More like himself in race two, Bostrom was still some way shy of his 2001 Brands Hatch form, and was shown up by privateer Hodgson for the umpteenth time this year. "I'm frustrated because I was winning this time last year," said a doleful Bostrom. "I'm still pushing like I'm leading, but it's difficult at the moment. The bike is working well and I'm hoping for more at the last three rounds." Haga was fifth in the second running, Xaus sixth and Chili seventh. Haga, Xaus, Rutter, Ben Bostrom and Chris Walker (in that order! battled In both races. cue I • n e _ lIS • AUGUST 7, 2002 33