BIAGGI ON 2ND ROW: KAGAYAMA UNFIT
 Team
Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi will start from
the second row of the grid at tomorrow's third round of the
Superbike World Championship at Donington Park as team mate
Yukio Kagayama has been ruled unfit to ride.
Biaggi had struggled a little in qualifying, but then put
in a blistering lap of 1:32.182 in the afternoon practice,
over two seconds quicker than his previous best time! He then
followed that by going even faster in Superpole, but many
of his rivals also went quicker and Biaggi finished seventh.
Kagayama underwent a further examination this morning before
practice and, although he was eager to race, the medics declared
him 'unfit' and so he took no part in today's proceedings.
Troy Bayliss (Ducati) took Superpole with a lap of 1:30.370,
nearly a second quicker then his nearest rival Noriyuki Haga
(Yamaha). Third quickest is Regis Laconi (Kawasaki) with James
Toseland (Honda) completing the front row of the grid.
Max Biaggi - 7th, 1:31.689:
"I was happier after my performance in the untimed session
this afternoon, but I knew Superpole would be hard. I managed
to go a bit faster on my Superpole lap, but so did some other
riders and so I ended seventh. But the second row of the grid
is not so bad, especially if I can make my usual good start.
There are two very long races tomorrow and anything can happen,
so we'll just have to see how it goes. I'll be aiming for
two good starts and two good results - hopefully podiums."
Yukio Kagayama - (non-starter):
"I wanted to race today but the doctors said 'no!' This
morning my back was a bit sore but that was all. I could remember
everything form yesterday, no problem. But if the doctors
tell you not to race, that is that! Now I'm looking forward
to the next race at Valencia and putting these disasters behind
me."
Final WSB Qualifying: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:30.370, 2
Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:31.084, 3 Laconi (F-Kawasaki) 1:31.377,
4 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:31.399, 5 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:31.504,
6 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:31.686, 7 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki
Corona Extra) 1:31.689, 8 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:31.132, 9
Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:32.077, 10 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 1:32.178.
SUPERSTOCK 1000:
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavier Simeon suffered
severe tyre problems today and could only manage the 19th
fastest time in qualifying.
In final qualifying his rear tyre started moving on the rim
and that caused the bike to be unbalanced and suffer a lot
of vibration and ended with a best lap of 1:36.613, two seconds
slower then pole-setter Michele Pirro (Yamaha).
Xavier Simeon - 19th, 1:36.613:
"This is not the way I wanted to start my debut in this
class at all! I am very disappointed with what happened today
and I have to get myself into a positive frame of mind for
tomorrow. I know that the fifth row of the grid is a long
way from the front and that I am going to need the best start
of my life if I am to have any chance at all of catching the
leaders. There's going to be a lot of traffic to get through
and that's the kind of thing that wears tyres out more quickly.
But I want to do the best I can and see what happens. I cannot
say what position I will be in at the end, but I'd like to
think I could be in the top ten at the least."
Final Superstock 1000 Qualifying: 1 Pirro
(I-Yamaha) 1:34.690, 2 Canepa (I-Ducati) 1:35.035, 3 Van Keymeulen
(NL-Yamaha) 1:35.193, 4 Badovini (I-MV) 1:35.302, 5 Corti
(I-Yamaha) 1:35.368, 6 Dello'Omo (I-MV) 1:35.475. 19 Xavier
Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:36.613.
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