•
THEFI ST
Iames Toseland takes
crown in France
By GORDON RITCHIE
PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE
and Laconiph iles recko ned w ithout
Ducati's very own British Redcoat, who
held firm in attack and de fense - like the
steel that made Toseland's hometown of
Sheffield so famous - and proved unbending at the finaland most intense test. A win
and a second, and Ducati's II th Rider's
title. were Toseland's rewards.
"My smile is for relief, really just that ,"
Toseland said. It's been hard somet imes
but I have to thank my team for giving me
the opportunity to be stood here as World
Champion. A lot of people have helped me
in my career, from Mick Corrigan , eil
Tuxworth, Paul Bird, GSE and now Fila
Ducati. It has bee n a long, rocky road, so I
have to give them a massive thank-you .
We're going out to Vegas next week for a
holiday, so we might spe nd some of our
pennies the re. Big thanks to my trainer my fitness and focus rea lly he lped in t he
later stages. My mum is my biggest supporter and my biggest fan, so thanks to he r.
My brother is my best friend and his kids
and wife are allgreat to me . For everybody
involved in my lif I have to say thank you
e,
because you have all been so supportive.
We are World Champions now, and I th ink
we deserve it because in the last three
rounds we have ridden really we ll. We've
had the opportunity to be on the bes t bike
and in the best team for this year, and the
World Championship is going back to
where it belongs: Great Britain. I could
have been in the pos ition Regis is in very
easily, and I can't imagine how disappo inted I'd be if I was, and it was just a great
race all year with Regis. He 's a great rider,
pushed me all the way and he was unfortu-
26 OCTOBER 13, 2004 • CYCLE N EWS
40th Anniversary
