XAUS AND ELIAS RIDE AT HOME
 After
his sixth place in the last round of the championship –
his best result since joining the MotoGP class – TONI
ELIAS will look to end the season in style with a performance
to delight his legion of Spanish fans. The FORTUNA YAMAHA
rider has scored in each of his last nine races after the
injury that kept him out for three rounds. Valencia is one
of Elias’ favourite circuits having won the last two
250cc races at the circuit, but today both he and team-mate
Ruben Xaus struggled. Elias was seventh fastest in the second
free session, but ended the day in 11th overall after a disappointing
showing in the morning. However, he remains only sixth tenths
behind provisional poleman Marco Melandri. Xaus suffered with
engine problems in the morning but resolved them in the afternoon
to finish up in 19th.
TONI ELIAS (24):
Free session 1: 13th - 1.35.455 + 1.618 (20/28 laps)
Free session 2: 11th - 1.34.161 + 1.048 (5/26 laps)
“Although we have progressed well recently, it’s
difficult for riders to make a difference here, which means
if you have problems with the bike they are hard to overcome.
It will be a difficult race in which we will have to try and
overcome the problems we have had all year. But we will give
it our all as always and see if we can improve.”
RUBEN XAUS (11):
Free session 1: 21st - 1.37.466 + 3.629 (21/27 laps)
Free session 2: 19th - 1.36.057 + 2.593 (6/28 laps)
“We thought the engine was broken in teh morning which
meant we had to work with just one bike and that made things
difficult. We improved in the afternoon, although at this
circuit the bike lacks a bit of speed through corners. I hope
to leave Valencia with good feelings and to enjoy myself on
the bike which is something I haven’t done for a while.”
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