Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

mer World Champion was unable to put in a pass on either rider and took fifth position for his efforts - at a circuit where he has no-scored for the last two years. Honda rider Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes took sixth and seventh after the usual cutthroat Supersport contest. Muggeridge looked strong early on, holding second position for the opening three laps, but a coming together with his teammate Vermeulen caused a loss of rhythm, and he fell back into the clutches of the chasing pack as his brakes faded. Muggeridge eventually claimed board straight away, and it's my home round next, so I have to be happy." New boy on the grid Broc Parkes made a successful debut in the Supersport class on his Dark Dog Honda BKM after two years in World Superbikes and looks set to be a contender now riding a truly competitive bike on competitive tires. The Aussie, still under the management of Harris Barnett and Wayne Gardner, had recovered from some low moments in qualifying, even if he did regret not going harder earlier in the race. "Coming from Superbike to Supersport you just have to go for it right from the start and be aggressive in AIeasIo Corradi (1&) . . . . Christophe Cogan (middle' and Jorg Teachert (8) in the SUpersport action. sixth having been involved in a tough three-way scrap for the position but felt robbed by his very own teammate - who did apologize in public later on. "With everything being new and with conditions so different to the test here, we had no experience of a full race distance, and that was the difference," Vermeulen said. "The race was a good one except for nearly taking out my teammate on the fourth lap - I got in too deep and couldn't stop. It's great to have some points on the the opening laps," confirmed Parkes. "I let a few people past and couldn't pass Karl [Muggeridge) as his bike seemed a little bit faster than mine down the straight. It's a hard circuit to pass on, and whenever I got close, I got balked. At the end of the race I was riding much harder and managed to make some passes. I now know what I need to do for the rest of the season." Yamaha Deutschland's Christian Kellner took eighth after being re- in the Supersport mix, running out 12th. Michael Shulten gave Alpha Technik a 13th place and three points and a finish above Foret. Matthieu Lagrive ran out with a single point for his 15th place; he was the only Yamaha Motor France rider in the race after Thierry van den Bosch's early exit from qualifying with an arm injury. lain Macpherson suffered an ignition problem, resulting in his suffering a drastic lack of power above 11,000 rpm, but the determined Scot refused to give up to finally limp home in 18th. Another story put the cause as an incorrectly fitted or dislodged injector. No surprise that the most developed bike in the championship was also the winner; no surprise that Fujiwara, the late season winning machine from 2002 transferred to 2003 easily enough. Despite the wind, the biggest eyebrow raiser was the fact that even though the lap record went, the race record was beaten, and the new Supersport bikes are obviously more racy than their predecessors, there was no demolition job on the previ- passed in the closing stages by Parkes, who eventually adapted to the elbowing tactics of his fellow riders by the end of the race. Kellner complained - not about this - but about Muggeridge's riding style and was not alone. Dutchman and former MotoGP rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh was impressive from the start and looked set for the final step of the rostrum, but a mistake while adjusting his clutch caused him to put on his thumb-operated rear brake, resulting in his losing eight places in the space of a single corner, dropping down to 11th. He was soon back on race pace and clawed his way back to ninth, ahead of Werner Daemen, who rounded out the top 10, after colliding with Kellner in the early stages. Daemen looked comfortable, as the new Honda clearly suits his style and diminutive stature. Kawasaki riders Pere Riba and reigning World Champion Fabien Foret both managed to score points in their debut for the all new Kawasaki Racing Team, but a lack of power saw them secure a disappointing 11 th and 14th position, respectively, and the team was set to carry out a further two-day test at Valencia in an effort to get the Kawasaki up to speed. Foret was in the huff terminally, running away from reporters and failing to make any comment after the race, just as he did after qualifying. "We knew from yesterday that today was going to be tough because we need more time to develop the bike," Riba said. "This is not the start I wanted, the team wanted or Kawasaki wanted, but this is the situation we are in, and we have to do our very best. At the end of the day we have scored championship points, which could be very important at the end of the season." Former 125cc GP winner Simone Sanna was learning to be comfortable cue I e ousreoo~s. ~ Ricarda Torma Circuit Velencie, Spein Results: Merch Z, Z003 [Round 11 SOPERBIKE QUALIFYING: I. Neil Hodgson (1 :34.863); 2. James Toseland (I :35.429); 3. Ruben Xaus (1:35.827): 4. Troy Corser (1:35.831); 5. Regis Laconi (1:35.853); 6. Steve Martin (1:35.927); 7. Pier-Francesco Chili (1 :36.114); 8. Chris Walker (1:36.145); 9. Lucio Pedercini (1:36.473); 10. Juan Bautista Borja (1:36.974); 11. Marco Borciani (1,37.070): 12. Gregorio Lavilla (I :37. I 68): 13. Mauro Sanchini (1:37.927); 14. James Haydon (I :38.809); 15. Giovanni Bussei (1 :36.492); 16. David Garcia (1:36.560); 17. Nello Russo (1:37.037); 18. Ivan Clementi (1:37.082): 19. Walter Tortoroglio (I :37.4 I 5): 20. Alex Gramigni (J :37.573): 21. Serafino FoU (1:37.636); 22. Sergio Fuertes ( I :38.052): 23. Martin Benito Isaac (1 :40.500). SUPERBIKE RACE ONE: I. Neil Hodgson (Duc): 2. Ruben Xaus (Due); 3. Chris Walker (Due); 4. James Toseland (Due); 5. Regis Laconi (Due); 6. Steve Martin (Due): 7. Gregorio Lavilla (Suz); 8. Ludo Pederdni (Due); 9. Marco Borciemi (Due); 10. David Garda (Due); II. Ivan Clementi (Kaw); 12. James Haydon (Pet); 13. Nella Russo (Due): 14. Juan Bautista Borja (Due): 15. Sergio Fuertes (Suz); 16. Martin Benito Isaac (Yam). SUPERBIKE RACE nYO; I. Neil Hodgson (Duc); 2. Ruben Xaus (Due); 3. James Toseland (Due): 4. Chris Walker (Due); 5. Steve Martin (Due): 6. Gregorio LaVitlll (Suz); 7. Troy Corser (Pet); 8. Juan Bautista Borja (Due): 9. Ludo Pedercini (Duc): 10. Marco Borciani (Due); 11. Giovanni Bussei (Yam); 12. David Garda (Due): 13. Mauro Sanchini (Kaw); 14. Ivan Clementi (Kaw); 15. Nello Russo (Duc): 16. Walter Tortoroglio (Hon): 17. Martin Benito Isaac (Yam). WORLD SUPERSPORT: 1. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suz): 2. Chris Vermeulen (Hon); 3. Alessio Corradi (Yam): 4. Christophe Cogan (Han); 5. Jorg Teuchert (Yam): 6. Karl Muggeridge (Hon); 7. Brae Parkes (Hon); 8. Christian Kellner (Yam); 9. Jurgen Van Den Goarbergh (Yam): 10. Werner Daeman (Han): 11. Pere Riba (Kaw); 12. Simone Sanna (Yam): 13. Michael Schulten (Han); 14. Fabien Foret (Kaw): 15. Matthieu Lagrive (Yam); 16. Kenan 50fuoglu (Yam); 17. Stefano Cruciani (Kaw): 18. lain MacPherson (Han); 19. Kai Borre Andersen (Kaw); 20. Didier Vankeymeulen (Kaw). WORLD SUPERB IKE WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After I of 12 rounds): I. Neil Hodgson (50/2 wins): 2. Ruben Xaus (40): 3. (TIE) James Toselllnd/Chris Walker (29): 5. Steve Martin (21): 6. Gregorio Lovilia (19); 7. Lucio Pedercini (15); 8. Mauro Borciani (13): 9. Regis Laconi (11); 10. (TIE) Juan Bautista Borja/David Garcia (10); 12. Troy Corser (9): 13. Ivan Clementi (7): 14. Giovanni Bussei (5): 15. (TIE) James Haydon/Nello Russo (4). WORLD SUPERSPORT C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 1 of 11 rounds): 1. Katsuaki Fujiwara (25/1 win); 2. Chris Vermeulen (20); 3. Alessio Corradi (16); 4. Christophe Cogan (13); 5. Jorg Teuchert (11); 6. Karl Muggerldge (10); 7. Broc Parkes (9); 8. Christian Kellner (8); 9. Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh (7); 10. Werner Daeman (6). Upcoming Rounds: Round 2: Phillip Island, Australia, March 30 Round 3: Sugo, Japan, April 27 n e _ so MARCH 12,2003 21

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