World Superbike Championship
Round 3: Sugo, .Japan
By GORDON RITCHIE
PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE
SaGO, JAPAN, APRIL 27
or a man who qualified on row two
and had some obvious grip problems in the wet opening day at Sugo,
Neil Hodgson was a man riding with
huge confidence in the latest brace of
World Superbike races.
This time around it looked like the
traditional advantage he had enjoyed
over most of the rest of the field this
year, partly due to his Michelin tires,
would be leveled out by the superior
local knowledge of the Japanese arm of
the Dunlop factory. And there was some
aggressive and battling riding from
numerous directions to contend with as
well, although not from his usual sparring partner, his teammate Ruben Xaus.
To some extent Hodgson's Michelins were by no means obviously the
best tires to use at Sugo, although as
packages go, Hodgson's was still top
of the class in almost all respects - as
was witnessed by his two wins and the
way he could haul away from the other
riders out of corners, leaving them in a
flurry of cherry blossom petals, which
were falling from the trackside arboreal fixtures all weekend.
"That was a good race; Gregorio
F
24
MAY 7, 2003'
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