Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

James Toseland on Rough Times A fter two rounds (four races) of the J-\1005 World Superbike Championship, the 2004 World Champion James Toseland finds himself in a lowly eighth place, with his run of sixth, sixth, 14th and a DNF leaving him with just 22 points. By contrast, current World Championship leader Troy Corser has 91 points. It has understandably seemed as though the Ducatis have struggled in 2005, as the four-cylinder machines have found teeth rows and rows of them - and are all eager- ly lined up to slice through the previous Ducati domination. But as Toseland is now keen to make public, the Ducati still has abilities of its own, and it is only circumstances that has left him looking in much worse shape than he believes he is. ':At the start of it in Qatar, I was one of the fastest guys in testing, but unfortunate- In race two at Phillip Island, Toseland was Phillip Island misadventures, "So, that was pushes me into a corner and makes me in even worse condition, out of the running the story of the first two rounds, with most come out fighting even more. But it's just completely after a crash with Honda rider Karl Muggeridge. ':As far as the second race goes, there was a photograph in MeN where Muggeridge said he was side by side with me. I find that hard to believe. I was halfway around the corner. I actually heard his front tire lock up, things out of my control." been a bit freaky. For the people who don't watch the races, who just look at the results at the end of it, it probably makes me look very bad. At the end of these things I had to have a shout out and straight into the side of me he came." Out of the race, Toseland stated that Muggeridge was to blame but that it was a "racing error. But he did it to Chris Walker in Qatar and to me in Phillip Island, so I was frustrated at coming home with just two points after going all that way to Australia. Unfortunately, after the second race, I had a go at Pirelli and I had a go at Karl. I did that because of his erratic riding style, which in places looks completely out of control. But he came up to me on Sunday night and apol- Determined to see the silver lining through the clouds, something that has taken his career back from the brink on many previous occasions, Toseland stated. "Superpole in Qatar and Superpole in Phillip Island were my fault. But I did a very good lap time in Phillip Island, did my fastest-ever time around there on a motorcycle, even on the Dunlops. I was pleased with that performance - .7 of a second off pole and I was 10th, so it was a bit of a freak Superpole. As far as pace goes and determination goes, we are still right there, but it is just circumstance at the moment that is making us look off the pace." Hence Toseland's postrace unhappiness: "I had a go at Pirelli and also Karl because I am not finishing 14th in a Superbike race and ly, on the second day, we had a huge crash that put because I am not prepared to take it all on myself this time." Toseland also acknowledges that the 2005 season in general is also tougher than 2004 was. "Mistakes this year will be punished a lot more because of the depth of the field," he said. "That's why we cannot afford mistakes like the tire thing. It's not acceptable. It's not acceptable in any team, never mind the factory Xerox Ducati team. I know very well that somebody will be in trouble with that, but I also know that person tries I 10 percent and he will be very sorry for that. So I am not bitter at the ~ team; they want to win just 0 0 (!) as much as anyone. I am not me in a tricky situation because I was so bashed and '" bitter at Karl Muggeridge or bruised coming up to race week," Toseland explained. o g to finish 14th and just say "' that I've had a bad day at the 5 office. I want a MotoGP ride the team, but I am not going > "I qualified 13th, and that was not just because of the iE as much as anybody, and I injuries; it was raining and then coming dry in want to win this champi- Superpole. So, I got caught out in Superpole. By the time I got from 13th place to sixth place in each race, the checkered flag was out. I onship as much as anybody. I'm just not having everyone, all the team managers, looking at me going around was obviously disappointed in 14th place, wondering what's happening. by the results but really quite pleased of getting the how good a Suzuki or Honda best out of a bad situation is because I've never ridden after qualifying and a crash." Ding, ding: round two. ':At Phillip Island, on race tires, we were one of the fastest guys, top three con- one of them," Toseland continued, "but I have ridden behind some of them, and I can say that the four-cylinder bikes are very strong. Still, sistently in qualifying," Toesland said. "In Superpole, I did a lap time that would When we get everything right, we are as fast as them. have put me second in every other qualifying session. they - especially Suzuki - have "I cannot comment on the Ducati is a match for it. But it is so close now that Unfortunately, it put me 10th on the grid, because of how close it was on the time sheets." ogized. It was a bit of an apology with a bit of In the races themselves at Phillip Island, things hit rock bottom, with tires being a 'but.. .' at the end of it - which I wasn't too making myself out to be a fool," Toseland said. "I don't usually say much when things pleased about. At least he was man enough are going wrong, and if it is my fault, I am the blamed for a race·one 14th. Tires were a key element, just not for the reason to apologize for it, so there are no hard feel- first to put my hand up and say so. But I am certainly not going to sit there and be made to look a fool by finishing up 14th. Everybody knows about the tire problems, and I'll sit back on a lot of things, but I wasn't prepared to this time, especially after Qatar as well." Toseland originally thought. "In race one there was a problem, which I didn't know about until I got to Singapore on the way home, and had a meeting with my chief mechanic," Toseland said. "I thought I had a faulty tire in the rear, but the team had made a mistake and put the wrong tire in on the grid. They put a 'C' tire in, instead of the '1\ tire. Even the 'C' tire .. I'm sure there was something wrong with it - it was ridiculous. Then I was down the order at the start, what with the tire, at turn one. Then I got back on track and fin- ings there." Toseland, clearly feeling he needs to clear the air after what looked like a dismal show from him in Australia, stated, "I was very disappointed in Ducati for not informing me of the tire mistake, because in race two, it Whatever else Toseland is, he is not would have eliminated my thoughts of, 'Well, I hope I've got a good one this time.' I could have just gone into race two thinking, 'Well, unbowed in the face of these misfortunes or defiant in the face of criticism of his own personal performance. at least I've got a good tire in this time; let's ':At the end of the day, these sorts of things just wind me up, and I just make me want it [success] all the more," Toseland said. "I have been hearing all the stories about my lack of confidence, but I just laugh. Everything that goes wrong just have a go straight from the start.' So I was feeling around for the first couple of laps, trying to find the grip, wondering if I had got a good one or not." ished 14th." 12 APRil 27, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS As Toseland stated about his Qatar and got their bikes sorted even where Ducati had its advantages. It certainly has not got its advantages any more, but I don't think it is disadvantaged in any way yet. It's as strong as anything out there, the Ducati, but it has just cut a fine line that any little mistakes we make are just going to be 10 times as big with everything else being so close to it. Last year, you only had to beat another 999. With the factory team last year, everyone had the same spec of Ducati as us really, but we did have the new parts, we did have the budget, and we did have the reliability and the strength of the team. That's what made Regis [Laconi] and lone-two last year. Our strength is the team, and it is still not all over yet. Everyone is saying that my championship is in tatters, but it certainly ain't all over, that's for sure." Gordon Ritchie

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