BAYLISS LEADS THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM AFTER
DOUBLE PODIUM FINISH ON HIS RETURN TO WORLD SUPERBIKES
Losail (Qatar), Saturday 25 February: Troy Bayliss (Ducati
Xerox) marked his return to the World Superbike Championship
with two second places at the Losail International Circuit
in Qatar. It was a remarkable performance by the 36-year-old
Australian, who after spending three years in MotoGP, is now
leading the 2006 championship following the opening round.
Race 1 saw Bayliss inherit the runner-up slot behind James
Toseland (Honda) after the two front-runners Yukio Kagayama
(Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) had crashed out on the
final lap. In the second race Troy battled hard with his fellow
Australian and 2005 champion Troy Corser right to the finish
but had to settle for the runner-up slot again. "It was
hard work today", declared Troy. "Everyone was riding
very well and their machines were also working well. The second
race was a long race and I really wanted to get a better start
than what I did but I found myself again in fourth and fifth
in the group. I was a bit unsettled and it took me till two
thirds of the race until everyone started to suffer before
I could make my move. I put my head down and was trying everything
to get past people. With two laps to go, I was making ground
on Corser and we had a good fight in the end. But my timing
was a little bit off for the last corners and he covered it
well. Today the best I could do was second so I'm reasonably
happy with the results. Everything is going well however and
I'm looking forward to Phillip Island".
His Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was running in sixth
place in race 1 until he high-sided on lap 4. In the second
race the Italian finished in a steady sixth after feeling
the effects of his earlier crash. "After I had destroyed
my bike in the first race incident, I felt that the bike I
used in the second race didn't entirely 'suit' me the way
I wanted because we hadn't used it much over the weekend and
so it was more of a struggle. I paid dearly for my error in
race 1 when I wanted to go and catch them at all costs but
I was a bit too hasty. The crash was a nasty high-side, very
dangerous, in quite a fast corner, the next to last right-hander.
Physically I wasn't 100% for the second race but I got a sixth
place which is OK considering the conditions. In the early
stages, I was lapping as fast as the others but then my right
knee and ankle started to hurt so I had to reduce my pace.
However it was a good weekend for the Ducati Xerox Team because
Troy is leading the points and the bike's potential is good.
It was a pity for me because I was hoping for a couple of
good races".
RACE 1: 1. Toseland (Honda); 2. Bayliss
(Ducati Xerox); 3. Pitt (Yamaha); 4. Corser (Suzuki); 5. Fabrizio
(Honda); 6. Barros (Honda); etc. RACE 2: 1. Corser; 2. Bayliss;
3. Haga (Yamaha); 4. Toseland; 5. Pitt (Yamaha); 6. Lanzi
(Ducati Xerox); etc.
POINTS: (Riders) 1. Bayliss 40; 2. Corser
& Toseland 38 ; 4. Pitt 27 ; 5. Fabrizio & Barros
19 ; etc. (Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 40 ; 2. Suzuki & Honda
38 ; 4. Yamaha 32 ; 5. Kawasaki 7.
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