Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Hodgson (center) and Lavilla (left) found themselves on the podium after both races, with a jubilant Chili joining them after race two. here, so all I had to do was sit on it and ride it around." Nonetheless, the Ten Kate bikes were not the fastest in the race, and one of the quickest belonged to the impressive and classy talent that is Belgarda Yamaha's Jurgen van den Goorbergh. A calculating high-velocity run through the leading riders on his 173 mph Belgarda R6 delivered him second, without a slipstream to pull him along, either. Sugo race winner Chris- Championship nemesis Stephane Chambon on the Alstare Suzuki GSXR600. The wily old foxes had a rare old last-lap battle of the brakes and slipstream, with Macpherson just grabbing third. "I only looked behind me once in the race and had a bit of gap over Foret and knew that I was going to finish third or fourth," Macpherson said. "Fortunately I was able to get on the podium and beat Chambon. The bike is competitive at the moment, the thumb he dislocated and snapped a tendon on may have more of a detrimental effect on his performance than it did at Monza, but you wouldn't bet on it. Pretty tough, and very fast, this Vermeulen guy. Van den Goorbergh lurks only one point behind Fujiwara in third with 51 points after Monza, while Sugo race winner Christian Kellner has scored 46. Stephane Chambon lies sixth on 42, Corradi on 37 and Muggeridge, as he was, on a heartbroken 29. CN much faster than them at the end of the race, but I was pushing very hard, and I made a small mistake. For me though the race was too short! Had it been two or three more laps and it would have been possible to be on the podium. We have improved a little bit this weekend, and for me that is very important." Foret was possibly the man of the race for that ride and gave Kawasaki its best result of the year, with the reigning champion turning out an eventual contender on his IX-6RR. Another Frenchman on a mission, Klaffi Honda's Sebastien Charpentier, ripped to third place in the early stages, running hard until his forearm muscles, tenderized by seven months off a race bike, gave up slowly, and he slipped to a still-outstanding sixth. Not bad for a rider who was out of a job at Valencia. His vast Supersport experience helped him through and kept him 0.4 seconds away from Kellner in seventh. Alessio Corradi could do no more than eighth on home tarmac, with Kawasaki's Pere Riba sort of sur- Autodrom. Nui...... M..... Monza, Italy Results: Mey 18, 2083 QUALIFYING: I. Neil Hodgson (I :46.981); 2. Pierfrancesco Chili (1:47.096); 3. James Toseland (1:47.502); 4. Regis Uleoni (1:47.537); 5, Gregorio Lavillo (1:47.964); 6. Lucio Pedereini (1:48.281); 7, Chris Walker (1 :49.003); 8. Vittorio lannuzlo (1:49,350); 9. Moreo Boreioni (1:49.829); 10, Alessandro Gramigni (I :50.172); 11. Troy Corser (1:50.244); 12. Ruben Xous (1:48,101); 13, Steve Martin (1:50.903); 14. Giovanni BU5sei (1:51.417); 15. Mauro Sanchini (1:51.714); 16. Ivan Clementi (1:50.579); 17. Serofino FoU (1:50.990); 18. Jomes Haydon (1:51.399); 19. Wliiter Tortoroglio (I :52,091); 20. Moreo Mosetti (1 :52,666); 21. Sergio Fuertes (1:52.802); 22. Lorenzo Mouri (I :54.663), SBK RACE ONE; I. Neil Hodgson (Due); 2. Regis Laconi (Duc); 3. Gregorio Lllville (Suz); 4. James Toseland (Duc); 5. Pierfrllneesco Chili (Due); 6. Chris Wlliker (Due); 7. Ruben Xeus (Due); 8. Marco Borciani (Due); 9. Steve Mertin (Duc); 10. Lucio Pedercini (Due); 11. Alessandro Gramigni (Yern); 12. Vittorio lannuzzo (Suz); 13. Troy Corser (Pet); 14. Mauro Sanchini (Kew); 15. Serafino Foti (Due); 16. Sergio Fuertes (Suz): 17. Lorenzo Mauri (Due); 18. Marco Mllsetti (Due). TIme: 32 min. 38.264 sec. Distance: 18 laps, 64.64 miles Average speed: 118.84 mph Margin of victory: .352 sec. Fastest lap: 1:47.715, lap 6. Neil Hodgson SBK RACE TWO: 1. Neil Hodgson (Due); 2. Gregorio lllvilia (Suz): 3. Pierfrencesco Chili (Due): 4. Regis Laeoni (Due): 5. James Toseland (Due): 6. Chris Walker (Due): 7. Steve Martin (Due); 8. Marco Borciani (Due): 9. Vittorio lannuzzo (SUI); 10. Lucio Pedercini (Due): 11. Alessandro Gramigni (Yam); 12. Mauro Sanehini (Kaw); 13. Giovanni Bussei (Yam); 14. Serafino Foti (Due); 15. Walter Tortoroglio (Hon); 16. Marco Masetli (Due); 17. Lorenzo Mauri (Due). Time: 32 min., 41.366 sec. Distance: 18 laps, 64.64 miles Average speed: 118.66 mph M.argin of victory: .044 sec. Fastest lap: 1:47.909. lap 7, Regis Laconi WORLD SBK C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 4 of 12 rounds): I. Neil Hodgson (200/8 wins); 2 . Ruben Xaus (115); 3. Gregorio Lavilla (111); 4. Regis Laconi (96); 5. James Toseland (91); 6. Chris Walker (68); 7. Pierfraneeseo Chili (59); 8. Steve Martin (58); 9. Marco Borciani (48); 10. Lucio Pedercini (44); 11. Troy Corser (35); 12. Juan Bautista Borja (28): 13. Mauro Sllnchini (27): 14. IVlln Clementi (25); 15. HitoYllSU 1zutsu (20). WORLD SUPERSPORT QUALIFYING: I. Korl Muggeridge (1 :51 .480); 2. Chris Vermeulen (L52,311); 3, Pere Rib. (1 :52,570); 4. Kotsuoki Fujiwara (1:52.922); 5. !lsin MacPherson (1:53.003); 6. Stephene Chllmbon (1 :53.159); 7. Werner Daemen (1:53.255); 8. Jurgen Vlln den Goorbergh (1:53.331); 9. Alessio Corradi (1:53.332); 10. Fabien Foret (1 :53.426); 11. Sebestien Charpentier (1:53,639); 12, Robert Ulm (1:53.667); 13. Simone Sanna (1:53.742): 14. Gianlue8 Nannelli (1:53.755); 15. Christophe Coglln (1:53.769); 16. Alessandro Polito (1:53.830); 17, ChrisU.n Kellner (1:53.846); 18. Barry Veneman (1:53.876); 19. Jorge Teuchert (1:54.283); 20. Broc Porkes (1:54.315); 21. Thierry Van Den Bosch (I :54.725); 22. Matthieu Lagrive (1 :54.741); 23. Antonio Cllrlllcci (I :54.996); 24. Didier Vankeymeulen (I :55.415); 25. IVlln Goi (1:55.596); 26, Arno Visscher (1:56.910); 27, Stefano Cruciani (1 :57.388). WORLD SUPERSPORT: 1. Chris Vermeulen (Hon); 2. Jurgen ven den Goorbergh (Yam): 3. lain MacPherson (Hon); 4. Stephane Chambon (Suz); 5. Fabien Foret (Kaw); 6. Sebastien Cherpentier (Hon); 7. Christian Kellner (Yam); 6. Alessio Corradi (Yllm); 9. Pere Riba (Kaw); 10. Katsullki Fujiwara (Suz); 11. Robert Ulm (Han): 12. Christophe Cogan (Hon); 13. Barry Veneman (Hon); 14. Simone Sanna (Yam); 15. Broc Parkes (Hon): 16. Alessandro Polita (Yam); 17. Werner Daeman (Han); 18. Ivan Goi (Yam); 19. Matthieu Lagrive (Yam); 20. Didier Vankeymeulen (Kaw): 21. Antoni Carlaeei (YlI.m); 22. Stefano Cruciani (Kaw); 23. Arno Visscher (Kaw). WORLD SUPERSPORT C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 4 of 11 rounds): 1. Chris Vermeulen (81/2 wins): 2. Katsuaki Fujiwarll (52/1 wins); 3. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (51); 4. Christian Kellner (46); 5. Stephene Chambon (42); 6. Alessio Corradi (37): 7. Karl Muggeridge (29); 8. Pere Riba (27); 9. Christophe Cogan (25); 10. Jorge Teuehert (21), Stephane Chambon (3) and lain MacPhel"llOn (9) battled throughout . . . . ._ . . . . nICe with MacPherson ~ getting the beat of the battle wittI a thlnl-place tlnllIh, • on ahead of CIIanIbon. tian Kellner held the handlebars of the fastest Monza missile in race trim, his Yamaha Germany bike turning 174.65 mph in the pack, enough to help take Kellner from midpack oblivion to seventh. "It was very important for Belgarda Yamaha to get a good result here, and it's probably the most pressure I've ever been under - but I can handle it," said van den Goorbergh. "For me it is just another race and another part of my career, but it's good for Belgarda and good to be in second position. We were struggling a little bit in practice, but we made a few more changes after warmup, and it has worked out quite well. We are improving every weekend, and the Pirelli tires were working great here at Monza. We basically had no big problems and were able to get a good race result." Ten Kate tuning helped take Ian Macpherson to the last podium position in third despite being out of the saddle and sideways more than once as he attempted to flee from his 1999 but I wouldn't say it's better than anything else. We have a good package, though; the handling is good; we have good tires from Pirelli, and it's fast enough. I think because it's still a new bike we have more room to develop." The factory Kawasaki team were in trouble before the race, with a relatively low top speed from their stilldeveloping motor, and their adopted World Champion Fabien Foret having a very French tantrum after qualifying, refusing to speak to anyone and stomping off to his trailer. His negative energy was channeled into the race itself in a positive way and Foret blitzed through from 18th to fifth, even without a slipstream. His newfound high top speed, second best in the race, was an unresolved mystery afterward, but Monza had obviously worked its magic again. "My start was terrible, and it is really frustrating because if I'd have got off the line well, I could have been in the battle with Chambon and Macpherson," Foret said. "I was prised that Foret had shot past him like a scalded cat. Katsuaki Fujiwara, on the factory Suzuki GSX-R600, part of the fourman group in second, slithered down to tenth on the last six laps. Robert Ulm took 11 th from Christophe Cogan - in pain from a pre-race crash - and Barry Veneman underlined the generally favorable Honda nature of Monza with 13th. Simone Sanna suffered clutch problems on his way to 14th; Broc Parkes was thoroughly bemused to find his bike slow on track again and only good enough for one point in 15th. In the championship battle, Vermeulen extended his lead to a healthy 29 points, heading Suzuki's Fujiwara, who once more slipped off the glory mountain. Cool and almost unmoved by his dazzling nine-second win; Vermeulen's second disappearing act in four races was impressive. He is now in a position to make himself increasingly safe at Oschersleben. By then cyc .... Upcoming rounds: Round 5: Oschersleben, Germany Round 6: Silverstone, England n e _ s MAY 28, 2003 33

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