Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I ond in the early laps, then stafted sliding and dropped out ofthe top l0 before pit- ting for a new rear, hoping in vain to save some points. He finished l7th. Suzuki teammate Vermeulen had cho- sen a mdium rear, and had fewer prob- lems. At the finish he was battling wirh Loris Capirossi, on a similar medium- compound rear Bridgestone, changing places several times on the last lap, but with the Ducati rider taking sixth. A disappointed Colin Edwards was ninth, over a second behind Nakano's Kawasaki, "l iust didn't have the feeling or confi- dence with the bike," Edwards said. "This situation can't go on much longer." Kenny Roberts Jr was l3th, and never on the pace. "We're just mirxed out. That is as fast as I can go, with nothing in reserve. We need to get the bike to stop, turn and accelerate better. " Team owner Kenny Sr echoed his comments. "We needed more dry practice. lt's Continued trcm pdge 23 faElaccident at $e Honda Tochigi test cir- cuit to a streetbike test€r. Testing had been suspenfu ai a mark of respect. What were the parts? "l don't know, but I'm told it h nothint you will see from the outside," said a rpokesman, suggesting they would proba- bly be chassis or swingarm-stifrness charEes, or some such. When Hayden was asked, however, he said: "There are absolutei/ no new parts here. Who told you that?" HRC, I replied. 'Well, maybe tiey re tinS to me, in case I want the parts for the race," he said, looking somewhat prplexed. When HRC was asked agaih, the slory had changed. No new parts here. They are onl/ testing tires on Monday. A simple cage o[ confusion per- haps, but it addr fuel to rumors that Hay- den's status within HRC has dropped some- what since the arrival of Repsol favoaite Dani Pedrosa in the team. Hayden's on-treck performance remains strcn8. After three rounds, he had claimed a significant lead in the BHW M Award for MotoGP's best qualilier, takiht account of accumulated practice times includint pre- season Catalunfa tests. Ha)den is already l-654 seconds clear of second-pla.ed Colin Edwards, with Chris Veameulen an impres- sive three-tenths behand the American, and Va.lentino Rossi almost two se(onds behind in fourth. A dirty treck followed by dirry weather caused problems in practice at lstanbul Park. Times in the first session, led again by boy wonder Casey Stoner, were still well over a second down in the aftemoon, when Nicky Hayden was in front. Almost all the riders complained of a lack oftrip, with Hayden adding: "Some of tfie paint is pretry slippery too." Hopes of improvement on day two were dashed by persistent rain. BridSestone's wet-weather tires were set- ting the pace in the Turkish rain, in both mornint free practice and, more cruaialry, in the afternoon'' qualirying s€ssion, taking five of the {irst six places on the grid. Only sec- ond-piac€d Hayden, on Michelins, spoiled the party. ln the mornint, Bridtestone had given the Ducati riders a full second advan- tage in the final and sogB/-fiee pracrice, with Loris Capirossi headint teammate Sete Gibemau, and third-placed Colin Edwards lully 1.2-seconds slower. The Ducatis were still fast in the atternoon, but rhe Bridge- stone effe

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