Valencia GP Qualifying practice
READY FOR THE FINAL ACT OF THE SEASON
The FORTUNA YAMAHA riders TONI ELIAS and RUBEN XAUS will
both start Sunday’s Valencian GP some way down the grid
after a disappointing second day of qualifying at the Ricardo
Tormo circuit. The circuit proved especially difficult for
all Yamaha riders, demonstrated by the fact that Colin Edwards
was the best-placed Yamaha rider back in sixth, some six tenths
off pole. It was on the final part of the circuit that the
Yamaha bike particularly suffered, where most bikes suffered
from a lack of grip. To complicate matters further, there
is the threat of rain for Sunday’s race which could
make track conditions even more hazardous for riders.
 TONI
ELIAS (24):
Free session 3: 13th - 1.34.309 + 1.856 (24/24 laps)
Qualification: 13th - 1.33.005 + 1.131 (23/24 laps)
“This morning I had a spectacular fall although fortunately
I was not hurt. However, it affected my rhythm. In the afternoon
we worked well, and lapped on race tyres with the bike’s
fuel tank full to prepare ourselves for tomorrow. We found
a good rhythm, but starting so far down will make things difficult
in the race. Starting a Grand Prix from the fifth row is not
good, but I am confident of getting a good start, climbing
through the field and not losing contact with the lead riders.”
 RUBEN
XAUS (11):
Free session 3: 18th - 1.36.240 + 3.787 (21/30 laps)
Qualification: 17th - 1.34.874 + 3.000 (30/32 laps)
“It’s difficult to do well when you’re
in a difficult situation, but you can’t make excuses.
Today, like always, we worked very hard to make improvements.
However, the reaction of this bike is very difficult for us
to master as it requires a riding style that I am not used
to. But it’s obvious that we have a bike that works
well which you can see from the results of other riders who
use it, so we must not make excuses.”
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