2007 Superbike World Championship
Round 5, Assen, NL
Circuit: 4.555 kms Weather; dry, sunny
DISAPPOINTING START FOR MAX AND YUKIO
The first day of qualifying for the fifth round of this year’s
Superbike World Championship at Assen took place in perfect
conditions, but it was a far from perfect start for Team Alstare
Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama.
Max ended the day twelfth fastest and Yukio finished well
down the order in seventeenth place. Series leader James Toseland
(Honda) posted the day’s fastest time, just over a tenth
of a second ahead of his nearest rival Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha).
Third quickest was Ruben Xaus (Ducati), with reigning champion
Troy Bayliss (Ducati) fourth.
MAX - 12th, 1:40.804
This morning we had some settings problems, so we made quite
a few changes to the bike for the qualifying session in the
afternoon. Then we focussed on sorting out the engine braking
and tomorrow we will try and find a good balance to the bike
so that I can push hard. I have ridden this track many times
in the past, but this is my first time riding the new layout,
so there was that to learn as well today.
YUKIO - 17th, 1:41.273
Normally I like Assen and normally it likes me, but today
was very strange. I did not find hardly any good grip at all
today and I’m not sure exactly why. We made some suspension
changes to the bike for the afternoon qualifying, but we had
a little bit of a clutch problem and I couldn’t push
hard. Tomorrow we’ll make some more changes to the suspension
and see if we can get better grip. We need it!
Friday qualifying
1 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:39.603, 2 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:39.750,
3 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:39.765, 4 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:39.806,
5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:39.938, 6 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:40.092,
7 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 1:40.201, 8 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:40.355,
9 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:40.445, 10 Brookes (Aus-Honda) 1:40.480,
12 MAX BIAGGI (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:40.804, 17
YUKIO KAGAYAMA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:41.273,
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