Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

and the good pace and handling of the well·developed Suzukis. "A reasonably good result, but of course I definitely wanted to be on the podium," van den Goorbergh said. "In the beginning I lost a bit too much time and lost grip from the rear early on, which meant I could only do a certain lap time. Halfway through the race I started to push even harder and was right on the limit trying to catch Chambon and Fujiwara. I came very close but in the last three laps was unable to catch them any more, and I am frustrated about that. I came close to the podium today but not close enough." Parkes should have won some kind of award for his brave efforts on a bike that he is clearly unhappy with on top speed, but again his bright start was extinguished by an unforeseen circumstance. Pere Riba was the top factory Kawasaki finisher in sixth, generally losing on the straights and making up for it around Oschersleben's seven right and seven left corners. It handles well, this new Kawasaki, but the engine is merely frustrating the rider. Ian Macpherson, a witness to the Kawasaki's prowess in corners confirmed that his van Zon machine was indeed faster than the ZX-6RR but not so nimble through the Oschersleben turns. Riba was almost speechless once more, having ridden at least as hard as any winner so far, but only picking up ten points for sixth, not 25 for the win. He said he was tired of trying so hard and not finishing on the podium, and he meant it. "At the moment it is impossible for me to do any better," Riba said. "You can see on the straights that we are losing time. I am riding well and am happy with myself; the tires and chassis are good, but we still have work to do with the engine." Finally Jorg Teuchert managed to finish a race in his native Germany, having never done so - at Oschers at least - since his started in WSS. Seventh was not part of the plan, but then neither was the pre-race qualifying confusion that affected his performance so badly on Friday and then screwed up his chances on a so-so track surface on Saturday. Followed home by his homeboy Christian Kellner, Teuchert didn't give himself quite the same disadvantage that the Sugo race winner Christian Kellner did. Kellner put himself off the track and punted Werner Daemen off his bike, hitting twice according to the little Belgian, and earning himself an unmistakable gesture from Daemen after he had stopped bouncing down the trackside grass. Kellner continued apace and made it back to the realms of respectability. "I went into the corner, and Christian Kellner braked much too late and hit me on my leg," Daemen said. "I managed to regain control of my bike, and then he sat up and touched my rear wheel, and I highsided. I am OK just very disappointed as I had qualified well and was in sixth posi- tion in the race." A first·lap scare about the condition of the track surface for Klaffi Honda's Sebastien Charpentier left him toiling hard for his ninth place. Gianluca Nannelli stayed wheels down and legal to go 10th, ahead of Honda rider Robert Ulm, just out of sorts in front of people who understood his language. For Yamaha France's Matthieu Lagrive, he at least took his best points of the year for 12th, and the wild card boy Vitrans Ten Kate Honda's Dean Thomas enjoyed his day off from British Supersport enough to score 13th, ahead of seven other riders, including his teammate Michael Laverty in 17th. Fourteenth was Barry Veneman, and the luckless Karl Muggeridge, out and down at one stage, fought back to finish 15th and take a single point. "After Monza I was obsessed with not burning the clutch out on the start and as a result made a bad start," Muggeridge said. "The crash was stupid, and I just ran off the track, which was down to me. From then on it was a case of trying to salvage some points, which I was just about able to do by finishing 15th." A busload of nonfinishers included many big names. Punted off on lap one, Kawasaki's Fabien Foret pulled in with a strange feel from the back end of the bike, Thierry van den (1:28.850): 14. Mauro Sanehlnl (1:28.920): 15. Ivan Clementi (1:29.141); 16. Giovanni Bussei (1:29.693): 17. Nello Russo (1:29.881): 18. Seranno Foti (1:30.580); 19. Walter Tortorogllo (1:31.428); 20. Jiri Mrkyvka (1:31.837); 21. Sergio Fuertes (I :31.950): 22. Sundby Dag Stelnar (1 :32.388). SSK RACE ONE: 1. Neil Hod9son (Due); 2. Pierfnmcesco Chili (Due); 3. J21mes Toseland (Due); 4. Regis Laconi (Due); 5. Chris Walker (Due); 6. Steve Martin (Due); 7. M~rco Borciani (Due); 8. Vittorio hmnuzzo (Suz): 9. Lueio Pedercinj (Due); 10. Giovanni Bussei (Yam); 1 I. Mauro Sanchinl (Kaw); 12. Troy Corser (Pe'): 13. Nello Russo (Due): 14. Serafino Foti (Due): 15. Jiri Mrkyvka (Due); 16. Sergio Fuertes (Suz); 17. Sundby Dog Steinar (Yam). TIme: 41 min., 29.894 sec. Distance: 28 laps, 63.65 miles Average speed: 92.04 mph Margin of victory: .556 sec. Fastest lap: lap 5. Pierfranccsco Cttili, 1:27.734 SSK RACE lWO: I. James Toseland (Due): 2. Neil Hodgson (Due); 3. Chris Wlilker (Due); 4. Regis Laconi (Due): 5. Ruben XliUS (Duc); 6. Steve Martin (Due); 7. Juan Borjll (Due); 8. Vittorio lannuuo (Sw.); 9. Marco Bordani (Due); 10. Lucio Pedercini (Duc); II. Pierfrancesco Chili (Due); 12. Mauro Sanchinl (Kaw); 13. IVlln Clementi (Kaw): 14. Troy Corser (Pet); 15. Serllfino Foll (Due): 16. Sergio Fuertes (Suz); 17. Jiri Mrkycka (Duc); 18. WaJter Tortoroglio (Hon); 19. Sundby Dog S'einar (Yam). TIme: 41 min. 29.894 sec. Distance: 28 laps, 63.65 miles Average speed: 92.40 mph Margin of victory: 7.416 sec. Fastest lap: Illp4, Neil Hodgson, 1:27.734 WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (Arter 5 of 12 rounds): 1. Neil Hodgson (245/9 wins); 2. James Toseland (132/lwin); 3. Ruben XliUS (126); 4. Regis Lliconi (122); 5. Gregorio LllvilJa (111); 6. Chris W~lker (95): 7. Pierfrancesco Chili (84); 8. Steve Martin (78); 9. Marco Borciani (64); 10. Lucio Pedercini (57); 11. Troy Corser (41); 12. Juan Borja (37); 13. Mauro Sanchini (36); 14. Ivan Clementi (28); 15. Vittorio Ilinnuzzo (27). WORLD SUPERSPORT QUALIFYING: 1. Karl Muggerldge (1 :30.250): 2. Chris Vermeulen (I :30.285); 3. S'ephane Chambon (I :30.314): 4. Sebastian Charpentier (1 :30.397): 5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (1:30.506); 6. Pere Rlbo (1:30.599); 7. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (I :30.620); 8. lain MacPherson (1:30.702): 9. Brock Porkes (1:30.715); 10. Robert Ulm (1 :30.769); 11. Werner Doemen (1:30.823); 12. Alessio Corrodi (1:30.872): 13. Fabien Foret (1 :30.935): 14. Glanluca Nannelli (I :31.019): 15. Simone Sanna (1 :31.092): 16. Christian Kellner (I:) 1.1 I I); 17. Jorge Teuchert (1:31.137); 18. Matthieu Lagrive (1:31.161): 19_ Thiery van den Bosch (1:31.174); 20. Kenan Sofuoglu (1:31.189); 21. Barry Veneman (1:31.328); 22. Dean Thomas (1:31.344); 23. Christophe Coglm (l:31.434): 24. Tobias Kirmeier (1:31.915); 25. Didier Vankeymeulen (1 :32.204); 26. Herbert Kaufmann (1 :32.683); 27. Stefeno Cruciani (1:33.034): 28_ Miehoel Laverty (1:33.118); 29. Amo Visscher (I :33.866). WORLD SUPERSPORT; I. Chris Vermeulen (Han); 2. Stephane Chambon (Suz); 3. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suz); 4. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yam); 5. Brock Parkes (Hon); 6. Pere Riba (Kaw); 7. Jorge Teuchert (Yam); 8. Christian Kellner (Yam); 9. Sebastian Charpentier (Hon); 10. Glanlucll Nannelli (Yam): 11. Robert U1m (Hon); 12. Matthieu Legrive (Yam): 13. Dean Thomas (Han): 14. Barry Venemen (Han); 15. Karl Muggeridge (Hon): 16. Stefano Cruciani (Kaw); 17. Michael Laverty (Hon); 18. Herbert Kaufmann (Suz); 19. Tobias Kirrneier (Hon); 20. Amo Visscher (Kaw). WORLD SUPERSPORT WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 or 11 rounds): 1. Chris Vermeulen (106/3 wins); 2. Katsuaki Fujiwarll (681l win); 3, Jurgen van den Goorbergh (64); 4. Stephane Chambon (62); 5. Christian Kellner (54/1 win); 6. (TIE) Aiessio Corradi (37){Pere Riba (37); 8. (TIE) Jorge Teuchert (30)/Brock Parkes (30)/Karl Muggeridge (30). Bosch simply fell from his Yamaha France R6 of his own volition, and Christophe Cogan's engine went bang just as he laid a smokescreen down Pit Lane with burning oil from his exhaust. Poor reward for a man with two broken vertebrae and ten laps worth of nothing to his credit. Alessio Corradi lasted but four laps, and Simone Sanna fell from his factory Yam, inexplicably according to him, on lap two. Vermeulen, the sainted one this year it seems, is now 38 points ahead of Fujiwara and is 42 ahead of van den Goorbergh, with a total of 106. With Chambon on 62 and Kellner an in-touch 54, the battle for second is vibrant and ever changing. The lead is another matter. The next rounds of SBK and WSS are scheduled for Silverstone, on June 15, and don't bet against former British Championship challenger Vermeulen winning again on at least semifamiliar tarmac. Silverstone is a combination of fast and slow sections, and on the evidence so far, Vermeulen can win convincingly on both. CN Oschersleben, &ermany Results: June I, 2003 SSK QUAUFYING: I. Neil Hodgson (I :26.907); 2. Pierfrancesco Chili (1 :26.942); 3. James Toseland (1 :27.198); 4. Chris Walker (I :27.574); 5. Regis u.eoni (1:27.741); 6. Steve Martin (1:27.797); 7. Gregorio Laville. (1:27.885); 8. Ruben Xaus (1:28.087); 9. Vittorio lannuuo (1:28.111); 10. Juan Boria (I :28.352): II. Lucio Pedereini (1 :28.544); 12. Troy Corser (1:28.824); 13. Marco Borcianl cue I e Upcoming rounds: Round 6: Silverstone, England, June 15 Round 7: San Marino, Italy, June 2 n e _ s • JUNE 11. 2003 27

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