Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128355
How was Laconi afterward? Regis was a very goo d sport at the e nd. I knew it must • have bee n hard for him, especially at the Paddock Show press co nfe rence in front of all his fans. How was t he a t mos phe re in the garage in those last two round s? The re was no animosity in the Ducati garage during those last cou ple of races . We tend to keep fairly separate anyway. We are not best of buddie s, but we get on okay. He is more of an extrovert the n me and much more chatty with the mec hanics. I am quiet e r and just try and get on w ith the job. Are you co nce r ne d that people t hink you're very yo ung? Although I am very young [24 years old], I have been racing a long time, and I think a lot of people forget that I have had my ups and downs and have paid my dues. Istart ed racing in 1995, and because of all the World Superbike races, I think I must have done about twice as many races • as I would have done in any other championship. How important is fitness ? When you highside there is an element of luck that comes into play how you land, but sometimes being physically fit and strong mentally helps you. At the kind of speeds we race at, it is impo rtant to be able to keep your focus and concentrate 100 percent. I have a personal trainer, Dave Marshal, who helps me . I met him in the gym I go to in january and started work ing with him, and within a few weeks I noticed a big improve ment in myself. He came to the last three races , and I hope to have him onboard with me in 2005. • Wh at were t he wo rs t moments for you in 2004? I was a bit upset about a few things in the races . I was angry for lett ing Chris [Vermeulen] win at Assen. All the crashes though we re my fault, except for Brands Hatch , when I got hit by Troy [Corser], and the time when I crashe d at over 150 mph at Silverstone thanks to a faulty tire! I was lucky to get away with that one because it happened at a place where you shou ldn't crash . I felt bad about Brands Hatch and Silverstone because I have never won a World Superbike race in the U.K. I never got it together all weekend at Brands and never found the right setup. At Silverstone, for w hatever reason, I just didn't click with the bike. Wh at a re your feelings rega rdi ng the on e-m ake t ire r ule? The 2004 season will be remembered for its close and exciting racing, and four riders had a chance of taking the title with a race or so to go. I had mixed feelings about the tires befo re the season began, pro bably because I had been on Dunlops for a lot of the time and understood them we ll. I was skeptical about the Pirellis at first because they were an unknown quantity, but Igot used to them okay and they added to the spectacle. Pirellis are safe e nough; it is the amount of grip that is different . I had to change my way of riding when we went to Pirellis, but I am not normally hard on tires, especially the front. I cou ld always run a softer front then Regis, because he is probably a more aggressive ride r then me . W ha t were t he problems go ing from the 2003 to 2004 Ducati? I knew that there wou ld be teething problems with the new bike - there always are - but added to that were the new tires for us all. The 998 is, in my o pinion, easier to ride, but the 999 is a better bike as long as you are in the co rrect zo ne. It is a more finicky bike and harder to set up and difficult to ride if you are not in the zone . I think [Pier-Francesco] Chili made a mistake by having both a 998 and a 999 in his garage at the start of the season because there is no way that you can just jump from one to the othe r. Y ou have to learn the 999 and get used to its idiosyncras ies. I do n't think I went over its limit, e xcept for a few corners at Phill ip Island for instance . I never think I'm right on the limit. If I did, I would sto p. Th ere was a noticea ble cha nge for the be t ter after Brands. Wh at happened? After Brands, we wen t to Mugello for a three-day test. and suddenly we found a setting I really liked. And after that, I was never off the podium. It was mostly down to offsets and head angle. Do you t hink Ducati ex pe ct ed t o w in the t it le easi1y in 2004? I think that Ducati began the 2004 season a bit too complacent and didn't spend much money on development. They thought it would be a bit of a walkover. They got a bit of a shock how quickly the Honda Fireblade got on the pace and worked so well so soon . Chris [Vermeulen] rode it very well and gave Ducati a shock . For 2005, they know they've got to pull the ir finger o ut. At the start o f the season, Regis was straight on the pipe, but I took longer to settle down to the new bike. My side of the team went towards his settings but, in retrospect, that was n't the best thing for me . At Mugello, I went back to a more standard setting and was much happier. Up to then, we had been a bit blinded by the other setting, and because we were in race weeke nds, we didn't get a good chance to sit down and work it all out. What a re your feelings a bo ut 2005? It' s going to be a tough year, but I am rea lly looking forward to it. [Noriyuki] Haga, [Troy] Corser, [Chris] Vermeu len, Regis [Laconi] and myself are all going to be contenders, but I don't think the re's going to be a bad bike out there, thanks to some of the japanese com ing back in. There co uld be eight riders out there all w ith a chance of winning races. Pe rso nally, I'd rathe r clear off in every race , but I don't think that's going to happen. It's good for the fans to have a group of riders mixing, and it certainly brings a smile to my face when I'm winning a good fight. I don't feel that Neil [Hodgson] made a mistake going to MotoGP because of what the bike had done the season before, but the japanese bikes developed so much in a short time and left Ducati behind. When Ne il did the dea l, it all seemed okay. What a bo ut you a nd MotoGP? Eventually, I wou ld like to be in MotoGP, but only on a competitive bike. I don't need to rush, beca use I have plenty of years in me. Will you ride with the numbe r-one plate in 2005 or do a Rossi? I will run with the number-one plate in 2005 for sure. There will be a number 52 on the bike somewhere, but the number one will re mind me that I am the champion . Is the se co nd title ha rder t he n the first? I don't think winning a second World title is harder then the first. Th is is just the sta rt for me . Foggy [Carl Fogarty] won the title four times, and if I can do that, I will be very happy. I always put everything I've got into w hat I do. All I can do is my best, and that is wha t I always try to do . eN Wha t a re your thoughts a bo ut th e futu re of t he Wo rld Su perbike Ch ampionship? Wo rld 5uperbike has now got to take a steady route back up. It's a great show and I can't see why we canno t increase a lot. I don't understand why the BBC is not showing it - it' s their loss for sure. Any t ho ugh t s a bo ut N eil Hodgson 's move to MotoGP in 2004? In addition to being World Superbike Champion, James Toseland is also a concert pianist. Not too many (an cla im that. CYCLE NEWS • JANUARY 5 , 2005 63