MORE TO COME FROM ALSTARE MEN
 Team
Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama
spent most of the opening day of qualifying for the fifth-round
World Superbike Championship round at Assen setting up their
GSX-R1000s rather than posting blistering lap times.
Biaggi, who was also learning the new revised track layout,
ended the day 12th and Kagayama 17th after focussing on detail
changes to their machinery, but both aim to be back amongst
the top runners tomorrow.
Series leader James Toseland (Honda) posted the day's fastest
time, just over a tenth-of-a-second ahead of his nearest rival
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). Third quickest was Ruben Xaus (Ducati)
with reigning champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati) fourth.
Max Biaggi - 12th, 1:40.804:
"This morning we had some settings problems, so we made
quite a few changes to the bike for the qualifying session
in the afternoon. Then we focussed on sorting out the engine
braking and tomorrow we will try and find a good balance to
the bike so that I can push hard. I have ridden this track
many times in the past, but this is my first time riding the
new layout, so there was that to learn as well today."
Yukio Kagayama - 17th, 1:41.273:
"Normally I like Assen and normally it likes me, but
today was very strange. I did not find hardly any good grip
at all today and I'm not sure exactly why. We made some suspension
changes to the bike for the afternoon qualifying, but we had
a little bit of a clutch problem and I couldn't push hard.
Tomorrow we'll make some more changes to the suspension and
see if we can get better grip. We need it!"
Friday WSB Qualifying: 1 Toseland (GB-Honda)
1:39.603, 2 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:39.750, 3 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:39.765,
4 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:39.806, 5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:39.938,
6 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:40.092, 7 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 1:40.201,
8 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:40.355, 9 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:40.445,
10 Brookes (Aus-Honda) 1:40.480. 12 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare
Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:40.804. 17 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare
Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:41.273.
SUPERSTOCK 1000:
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavi Simeon finished
the first day of qualifying for the Superstock 1000 Championship
with ninth place and a bruised right hand and foot - thanks
to a crash in the afternoon session.
The Belgian rider crashed at the third turn when his bike
spat him off and went to the Clinica Mobile for a check up
and X-rays, but fortunately no bones were broken.
Xavier Simeon- 9th, 1: 44.873:
"I am battered and bruised after my crash but I'm strong
and I'll be riding tomorrow for sure. I am not sure, but I
think the reason for the crash maybe because of a problem
with the clutch. In the afternoon I tried to go for a quick
lap but I kept running into traffic and I never got a clear
track. This is my first time here on a 1000 and it feels very
different to what I've ridden before. I'm optimistic that
we can improve a lot in tomorrow's sessions and be in good
shape for the race on Sunday."
Friday Superstock 1000 Qualifying: 1 Badovini
(I-MV) 1:43.192, 2 Corti (I-Yamaha) 1:43.865, 3 Van Keymeulen
(B-Yamaha) 1:44.111, 4 Dionisi (I-Suzuki) 1:44.180, 5 Tode
(D-Honda) 1:44.303, 6 Pirro (I-Yamaha) 1:44.445. 9 Xavier
Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:44.873.
|
