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/1542355
Ricordo Tormo circuir WORLD SUPERBIK€ Round 3 April 23, 2006 t E t t f /; I I I a E t- - ;{l BY GoRDo,{ RmHE Psoros av Goro & Goos: od forbid that the racing should ever get pre- dictable, especially in this particular year, when every rider and his a- t) E shadow have supposedly got packages closer to the best than in almo6t any other year we can think of. After Troy Corser beat Troy Bay'iss to Superpole, and Bay'iss was still the hot hvorite to take the race wins, there was no surprise fiat theywould disappear into their own untouchable orbiB around the Valencia sun. But to find that the top frve in each 23- lap race was going to be exactly the same was a much less expected development. The rest of the top frve were not neces- sarily predictable at all, unless you count Lorenzo Lrnzi's late charge to the front row after Superpole a5 some forrn of talisman that he would score third on two occasions. But to lind the mme of Yamaha l'4otor France's Norick Abe in fourth, despite his +eed herc last year, was delinitely a wel- corne p+perirE of pri\ateer powder in the top frve. Ducati Xerox's Bayliss and Alsare SLzuki Fffi T I t I I I I I I Corona Extm's Corser were simply on a higher plane of existence from their peers at Valencia, with each Australian rider taking tums to lead the races, which were both eventually won by Ba/iss. One by 14 sec- onds over third place and the second by 15. Bayliss's first double of the year (his first double since l'4isano in 2002) means that he has now scored a hat trick of straigk wins, after his race-tlvo success in Au*ralia. He now leads the championship, b/ 22 points, not frorn.lam€s Toseland, but from Corser. Bay'iss winning a double was an ominous siSht for all neutral observers, as he seemed to easily beat Corser in the finalanalysis, and Corser was easit the befl rider of 2005. Toseland and the \Mnston Ten Kate Honda found the Ricardo Tormo Circuit a trut horrible reality in race and qualifying conditions, unable to get his bike to drive the tires like mo€t othe6 could. Traction control or better setup, whatever he needs, he did- nt have in Spain - just a dogged determina- tion to finish as high up as he could. Po6tihS a ninth-place finish in race one and I lth in race two, he was top Honda lin- isher in the opener, but was overhauled by his race-long shadow in race two - DFX Honda's Michel Fabrizio. Klafli Honda's Alex Barroc had a depress- ing weekend all round, and two bad starts (clutch problerrs) from his l6th-place quali- lication spot helped leate him llth in race 28 MAY 3,2006 . CYCLE NEws IE A d II o \ I 3 I a \ , T I a ->r> I same tn faces World Supenbikc Champlonship l./ _-1 \- -. ) s t rI -% \ i ,\ I f -rll a C * P c i. .G 1 a l! ( TI 4 i) ,r I ) / \ t t \l / \ t I : \ \ {\ ( Pi -=- / Two wins for Troy Bayliss and the top five are the b r \ I N I I / / f- \ t\ {l. \ 1/ t "t 1 ,rl I