BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) TAKES FIGHTING RACE 1 PODIUM AT VALENCIA
 Troy
Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took a fighting third place podium
finish in race 1 at Valencia and a sixth position in the second
counter as Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and James Toseland (Honda)
clinched the wins on the day.
Despite clearly suffering from the aftermath of his Donington
crash two weeks ago, Troy was quick to play down any idea
that it had affected his performance at Valencia.
"I'm a little bit disappointed actually because I've
been feeling quite good all weekend" declared Troy in
the Clinica Mobile where the medics were removing fifteen
stitches from his right hand. "My injuries are not that
big, they haven't hurt me all weekend and they haven't been
a factor in me not doing so well. The first race was OK, but
the second was a bit disappointing. We really struggled with
the setting and it worked the tyres too much. I lost ten points
on James but the whole plan was to make up points on him not
to lose them. That's the way it is sometimes. In turn 1 I
got in a little bit deep and I'd been wasting my front tyre.
As soon as you touch the filler you just have to try and stand
it up otherwise it's going to crash. Now I'm looking forward
to going to Assen, it's a great track and it should be fun".
Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi showed some determination in the
final laps of the first race to beat off the challenge of
Max Biaggi (Suzuki) and then defended well for a good fifth
place finish in race 2.
"In race 1 I lost too much time in the early laps because
I didn't have enough confidence on the damp track" commented
Lorenzo. "I didn't take any risks and the others just
went away from me. However in the last ten laps I was lapping
at the same pace as them, but I could only finish sixth. In
race 2 I pushed hard right from the start, taking Ruben, then
he passed me again, then I had a fight with Troy and in the
final few laps when Max passed me, the rear tyre performance
just dropped away. Last year I was on the podium twice here
and I was much happier but I wasn't in as good a position
as I am now in the championship".
RACE 1: 1. Xaus (Ducati); 2. Haga (Yamaha);
3. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 4. Corser (Yamaha); 5. Toseland
(Honda); 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 7. Fabrizio (Honda); 8.
Biaggi (Suzuki); etc. RACE 2: 1. Toseland;
2. Biaggi; 3. Haga; 4. Xaus; 5. Lanzi; 6. Bayliss; 7. Brookes
(Honda); 8. Laconi (Kawasaki) etc.
POINTS (after 4 of 13 rounds): Riders -
1. Toseland 151; 2. Biaggi 138; 3. Haga 124; 4. Corser 101;
5. Bayliss 90; 6. Lanzi 87; etc. Manufacturers - 1. Honda
160; 2. Suzuki 138; 3. Yamaha 134; 4. Ducati 132; 5. Kawasaki
53.
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