Qualifying Phillip Island
BAYLISS AND LANZI BOTH FRONT-RUNNERS FOR DUCATI XEROX
TEAM IN AUSTRALIA
 Phillip
Island (Australia), Friday 2 March: Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo
Lanzi (Ducati Xerox Team) were both front-runners during the
opening qualifying session for the Australian Round of the
World Superbike Championship, taking place at Phillip Island
this weekend. Bayliss ended the day second quickest behind
provisional poleman James Toseland (Honda), while team-mate
Lorenzo Lanzi was third quickest for much of the one-hour
qualifying session before being edged down a spot in the last
couple of minutes.
"I'm pretty happy with the way things went today because
the track was quite hot this afternoon" declared Troy.
"We did a full race simulation with one tyre and I'm
quite pleased with that but tomorrow we're going to do another
one to try a different solution. But I'm very satisfied with
the way things are looking, we're going much better than we
were last weekend at the opening race and I'm feeling a lot
more confident on the bike. We'll just have to move on from
here tomorrow morning."
Lorenzo Lanzi, who scored his first podium of the year with
third place in Qatar a few days ago, was also on good form.
Despite a high-speed crash at turn 2 in the morning's free
practice session, the 25 year-old Italian was pleased with
his overnight fourth place.
"It was a pity about the last few minutes when I lost
third place but fourth place is OK" commented Lorenzo.
"Today we did a long-run, 17/18 laps, which went well.
Now we'll have to see tomorrow when we have a few more things
to try, in particular with the rear suspension so I'm feeling
confident I can improve. I had a small crash this morning
in the free practice session but everything is OK, I didn't
do myself any harm. I immediately found the right feeling
again with the front and managed to set some good times."
TIMES: 1. Toseland (Honda) 1m32.040s; 2.
Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m32.641s; 3. Nieto (Kawasaki) 1m32.769s;
4. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m32.774s; 5. Corser (Yamaha) 1m32.900s;
6. Biaggi (Suzuki) 1m32.998s; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m33.154s;
8. Haga (Yamaha) 1m33.244s; 9. Xaus (Ducati) 1m33.315s; 10.
Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1m33.523s; etc.
TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Europe): Sunday
4 March, 0100 race 1 (live), 0700 race 2 (delayed). British
Eurosport (UK): Saturday 3 March, 0815 Superpole (delayed);
Sunday 4 March, 1245 race 1 + race 2 (delayed). Eurosport
2 (Europe): Sunday 4 March, 0900 race 1 (delayed), 1015 race
2 (delayed). La7 (Italy): Saturday 3 March, 2030 Superpole
(delayed), Sunday 4 March, 0200 race 1 (live), 0530 race 2
(live), 1400 all races (repeat). Eurosport (Italy): Sunday
4 March, 0200 race 1 (live), 0430 race 1 (repeat), 0800 race
2 (delayed).
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