VOL. 50 ISSUE 40 OCTOBER 8, 2013
so intense was their rivalry.
They passed and re-passed in
race two, even when the white
flags came out to warn of a wet
track somewhere, so their falls
were almost inevitable.
Guintoli was in a truly intense
mood on track and as usual, generous and laid back off track.
"In race two, this time I thought,
I am not giving up," Guintoli said.
"If I am going to crash I am not
bothered. I just wanted to go for
it and Eugene [Laverty] did too.
We shook hands at the end. The
last time we crossed the line I
was second, but I think they took
two laps as they count back a
certain way. To be honest, we
both deserved the second spot,
I thought."
Far from being completely
happy with his two brilliant wins
(by two seconds from Guintoli in
race one and by 11 seconds from
Laverty in race two), Sykes questioned the logic of throwing a red
flag when the white flags already
Bol d'Or is no longer the final
locally grown blast on the
calendar. For the first time in
2013 I had to actually queue
to get in relatively early on
Sunday morning. Bless 'em.
Leaving the track on
Friday night even then you
could smell the campfires
and see bikes steadily coming into Magny-Cours from
all points on the French
compass.
If the last big French fling
of the season for the fans is the raison
d'être for this round happening at this
time of year, then keep calm and carry
on.
P73
Briefly...
ing and made Superpole. His team
had a professional sheen inside the
garage and with their bike appearance, but the most impressive sight
was their massive Kenworth team
truck – American style – forming a
custom-painted work of art in the
French paddock. The team, formed
of some ex-Effenbert staff, will race
at Jerez again and hope to get an
Evo place in 2014 if they think the
costs are not too high.
Ben Spies back to World Superbike
racing with Ducati Alstare was the
best rider-signing story of the early
part of the Magny-Cours weekend.
Chaz Davies was a shoo-in to the
other Ducati job as well at the recent
round in America. If there is no place
at Aspar for Laverty and a rumored
Pramac Ducati ride does not come to
fruition, then he too may end up with
Ducati. Davies admitted to at first two
offers for 2014, then three then three
and a half - although he would not be
drawn. Even on the whole numbers,
never mind fractions of a ride he had
been offered.
Carlos Checa got his stitches out
of his right pelvic region after his recent operation to insert a stabilizing
plate in his fracture and is recovering
at home. "I had my stitches out on
Wednesday and the doctor is very
pleased with progress," he said to
the Spanish media. "I will go back to
see him in two or three weeks."
The French fans didn't let the bad
weather spoil the weekend and were
on hand to cheer on their compatriot
Sylvain Guintoli.
Checa is still the subject of discussions with Kawasaki to make a third
official level bike in 2014, but he also
appears to have an offer from Althea
Aprilia - depending if they do or do
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