WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 51 ISSUE 25 JUNE 24, 2014 P89
- it was an almost perfect come-
back and certainly one of his
best ever race weekends, even
if Sykes was simply on another
planet on the same bike.
Despite the much-publicized
fallout after Baz's mistake and
verbal spat with Sykes, Baz will-
ingly accepted that Sykes was
just faster at Misano.
"I think today Tom [Sykes] was
just too fast, and I could not go
with him in each race," said Baz
after race two. "In the first race I
thought I could, but after 10 laps
I could see he was faster. In race
two Tom was faster from the be-
ginning. I had Marco Melandri be-
hind me in that race and kept him
behind. I am really happy to have
done that because he tried to
pass a few times. We know how
experienced he is so I think that
is the best race I have ever done.
I did not make any mistakes so it
was hard for him to overtake me.
I am really happy and I cannot
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SUNSCREEN
After a year with no Misano it was
a pleasant return to the beaches
of the Adriatic coast for the entire
World Superbike paddock. With all
the Superstock and European Junior
Cup classes back on board, it was
a busy race, long before race action
got underway.
Misano had been used for 42
individual World Superbike races,
making it one of the most visited of
all World Superbike venues, but the
facts of modern racing life mean that
Misano is primarily a MotoGP venue
now, with World Supers an add-on.
Misano is a hot race - almost as
hot at times as Sepang was the previ-
ous weekend - and too hot for those
who have to work outdoors through
the weekend. Just to add to the over-
all sunshine overload the race is held
on the longest day of the year.
The riders, despite the track's
compact and compressed layout (not
to mention its back-to-front nature
after the direction of racing was
reversed some years ago) generally
like Misano, but they really love being
in this part of the world.
Many head here early in their mo-
torhomes to soak up some rays and
hit the beach. And with seemingly
hundreds to choose from in the high
season, you can't blame them.
The original World Superbike
holiday race therefore still takes
place with the smell of sunscreen
and cotton candy carried up from
the nearby seaside, but the work for
the riders and mechanics is always
hot and intense inside the paddock
boundary.
With a return to the 'normal' 10:30
a.m. and 1:10 p.m. European round
race starts, that intensity is now much
more in 2014 than it was in 2012.
Misano… home of the sun-drenched fan.
