Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2005 09 14

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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Briefly... Despite winning multiple races last year in World Superbike, and winning this year again, Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Chris Vermeulen had to wait until the Assen race to take his first Superpole success. He took his maiden Superpole win at the perfect moment - and in the perfect place. His stunning lap of 2:04.179 was the best of the weekend and was taken at the home circuit of his Winston Ten Kate Team, giving them their first-ever Superpole success in the World Superbike class as well. Vermeulen, only ninth fastest after regulation qualifying, had been saving his best for last, running race tires in almost all the sessions preceding his Superpole triumph. Thus he did not have to wait a long time to set his Superpole lap, keeping his thought processes at racing pace. As an Assen race winner last year for Honda, Vermeulen installed himself in the position of firm faVOrite, going .7 seconds faster than his closest rivals after Superpole. The much-awaited 2006 calendar came into being at Assen, with a fright or two at the sparseness of dates, the gaps between some of the meetings, and the initial absence of flagship round Brands Hatch. The fear on that last score was assuaged by both Paolo Flammini and Brands Hatch owner jonathan Palmer, albeit separately. "I would not to read so much into the fact that it is not on the calendar," said Palmer. "I think it is only circuits with eXisting contracts that were definitively on the list. We are meeting with Flammini in the next two weeks. I'd be surprised and disappointed if there is not a race at Brands in 2006." Flammini stated that Brands will be on again, though there are just some details to be worked out. "We were very happy with the organization of the MSV personnel at Brands, with the crowd of over 100,000 people and all key aspects of the meeting," said Flammini. With Brands 99.9percent set in stone. a more immediate concern is the lack of an additional flyaway round, with the previous possibilities of Kyalami, Mexico and Suzuka falling by the wayside - for now, at least. Kyalami may still of this race - riding on Charpentier's pillion. The championship was decided, arguably, on the same corner at which Fujiwara had run wide earlier in the race, but now with two laps to go. Dropping to fifth as he recovered his composure and his line, Fujiwara had signed his own nonchampionship status card. Foret, sensing his first victory of the year, went all out for the win, with Charpentier cheWing on his exhaust fumes all the way to the flag, where he suddenly smelled the sweet aroma of overall victory, thanks to his third secondplace finish of the year. He was ahead of Fabrizio, Curtain and Fujiwara. Harms, Parkes, Stephane Chambon, Tatu lauslehto and JaVier Fores rounded out the top 10, after wild-card rider Arie Vos dropped off the regular pace. Charpentier duly took his first and Honda's fourth Supersport rider's title. go ahead, if a title sponsor can be found, and if it does, it will go in the yawning gap shortly after the beginning of the season's back-toback races in Qatar and Phillip Island. It would become round three. Ownership issues and land-use issues are also reported to be sticking points for Kyalami right now, as it sits on prime housing land on the outskirts of johannesburg. The other two blocked-out dates are supposed to be "phantoms," in case another date is needed for any reason. There is only one intra-European clash with MotoGp, the Portuguese GP and the Magny Cours race in SBK on October B. When questioned about why there were only 12 races for sure, Flammini announced: "The calendar is a three-year project, and with our goal being a maximum of 14 rounds. We want to have the three additional flyaway races, but the current European side of things is good, especially since the addition of Bmo. We need one in America, South Africa and Asia. The Middle East and Australia are covered by Doha and Phillip Island." Fons; Nieto, a Superlbike rookie for the SC Ducati team this year, was sacked by his team at Assen. They cite a lack of performance from the rider, and that he broke the clause in his contract that bars him from making negative comments about the team, as the reasons for his exit. Nieto, on the other hand, claims that the bike was not reliable and that his machine was not as high-spec as his teammate lanzi's as the reasons for his comments. Interestingly, Nieto had just taken on new sponsorship, from a Spanish holiday resort, at the previous Brands round. Andrew Pitt tested the new spec of engine that the Yamaha Motor ltalia team has developed for him and Haga this season. It arrived at Assen, and Haga was ready to use it, even if Pitt reckons it doesn't make a huge difference to the bike's feel. He ran at the Bolloco test track, owned by Alfa Romeo, and according to team boss Maio Meregalli, the facility has an infinite amount of possible terrains, although they used a short track for All of those titles have come via the Ten Kate squad, who brought out a new poster of their WinWin theme, WinWinWinWin, with pictures of Foret, Vermeulen, Muggeridge and Charpentier, the last four champions. The fight now is for second on down, and a classically close one it will be, with Fujiwara on 127, Curtain on 122, Foret on I 10 and Fabrizio on 9B. eN CIRCUIT VAN DRENTHE AsSEN, HOUAND RESULTS: SEmMlER 4, 2005 (ROUND 9) SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING: I. Chris Vermeulen (2:04.179): 2. pmos lOseland (2:04.899): J. Tn»' Cone< (2:05.005): 4. Noriyuk; Hag> (2:O5.078): 5. Karl Muggendge (2:05.256); 6. Andcew Pitt (2:05.J04); 7. Yukio Kagayama (2:05.434): 8. Steve Maron (2:05.560): 9. Pie<-mncesco Chili (2:05.691): 10. Lo,"nzo Lanzi (2:05.9J6): II. """ Clementi (2:06.0J6): 12. Chm Walker (2:06.401): IJ. GW>lua VaDe/1o (2:06.454): 14. Norick Abe (2:06.5J2): IS. Ben Bostrom (2:07.624): 16. Max Neuklrchner (2:05.J96): 17. 5eba>tian Glmbert (2:06.520): 18. Marco Bordani (2:06.642): 19. Regis Laconi (2:06.691); 20. Lorenzo Alfons! (2:06.734); 21. Jose Luis Cardoso (2:06.8n); 22. Garry McCoy (2:06.880): 2J. J"'l:"""" den ~ (2:06.997): 14. Giovanni 8ussei (2:07.414): 25. Mauro Sancmnl (2:07.627); 26. _ Vellni (2:07.921): 27. Ludo Pe (Yam): J. Jame. lOseland (Doc); 4. Tn»' COl'Ser (Suz): 5. Andrew Pnc (Yam): 6.U>renzo l.anzj (Doc); 7. Max Neukln:hner (Hon): 8. Karl Muggeridge (Hon); 9. Norick Abe (Yam): 10. Ben Bosuom (Hon): II. Yukio Kagayama (Suz); 12. Garry McCoy (Pet): I J. SebanIan Gimbert (Yam); 14. Pier-Francesco Chili (Han); 15. Giovanni Busse:i (l

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