Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 Sykes was starting to lose pace by around half a second a lap by half race distance, with Melandri the fastest rider on track. The top five were covered by only 1.2 seconds by lap 14. The gap dropped to a second on lap 15. Melandri had brought himself to within .7 of a second by lap 16, with 10 to go. Giugliano tried to pass Sykes repeatedly into the final corner, but was just too far behind each time, and Sykes had just enough power to keep ahead on the main straight. Ayrton Badovini crashed out of the race on lap 19 at turn six, running through the gravel before tipping off. The jostling for positions started on lap 19, as Laverty had a go at Giugliano, but had to back off. Guintoli was cast adrift in fifth, but a safe fifth, with four laps to go. Laverty made a move stick on lap 23 inside on the way up the hill. Melandri tried inside on the first slow left of lap 24, but Giugliano had the advantage. Setting 1:25 laps, the top riders were still chasing Sykes with two laps to go, as they tried desperately to get by. Laverty passed again into turn five, and made it stick. Giugliano did the same into the final corner of lap 24 and passed Sykes. Laverty held off Giugliano for the win, with Melandri passing Sykes as well into turn five and holding him off over the line. Guintoli was only fifth but also only one place behind Sykes, as the Kawasaki man had nothing left on the final lap. For Guintoli his second fifth place of the weekend was a disaster for his championship push, and his racer's ego. "I do not know what was wrong today because yesterday I felt so good in the first of the two 'races'," Guintoli said. "It just seemed that I have lost my mojo because even in the morning warm-up I was struggling to do the times. I just found it really hard to find a good rhythm. Yes, today, I was less than three seconds from the win, but I am still missing that little bit that I had and that I found for Superpole and the first race. So it seems like as soon as I have somebody troubling me I cannot ride smooth like I like to. It is reflecting on the lap times. I need to find a way to cope with the other guys. I can do the times on my own, but I am missing that little spark." It could have been worse, as even though Melandri scored a podium in race two he wrote himself off for all but a race win or two now. "I would like to give one more victory to BMW before the end of the season," Melandri said. "I could not try to pass anyone and overtake because I was struggling too much with the front. I don't think it was the tire it was just the bike characteristic that made it very difficult. Going out of the turns I was more aggressive on throttle and sliding more, mov- P61 Briefly... I am not sure when I can put weight on it again and I hope everything will be fine for the future. I know there is some interest from some teams and that is good for me, but I will decide sometime soon." Checa has been linked with a ride on a third factory Kawasaki, an Aprilia or MV ride for Althea and other offers from smaller teams. It seems the only thing that interests him for real is a ride on the Kawasaki, but it may be a case of Kawasaki having to field three bikes to do this. Existing rider Tom Sykes is signed, Baz very nearly signed and Checa would make three. Loris Baz's stand-in David Salom had a bizarre experience in race one on Saturday, clipping his left knuckles on the trackside markers, made of orange plastic, which stick out of the ground to keep riders away from the inside of turn one. He hit the flexible plastic strip at high speed on that section and was nursing his ring finger with ice at first, and then a large splint on Saturday evening. Leon Haslam drew groans of worry from the crowd when he fell in race one and clutched his lower left leg as he sat on the ground, with his leg appearing to sit in a strange position. He did not damage his broken lower leg, but feels he may have just tweaked tendons. ing more the rear. I have four races, but there are three riders in front so I cannot realistically think that all three riders will make mistakes." Jules Cluzel was top Suzuki

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