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Reigning British Superbike Champion Leon Camier reckons he is happy with his brace of fifths at yesterday's Portimao World Superbike round but added he needs to sort out his pace during the early laps.
Camier, who partners Max Biaggi in the Alitalia Aprilia squad, lost his way early on in both races but then started to lap as fast if not faster than the front runners but by then the gap was too big to bridge.
"I am very happy," said Camier. "We did well in both races and set excellent paces. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find my rhythm during the initial laps and this penalized me quite a bit. Now I also need to make improvements in this area. The familiarity with my RSV4 is improving with this new suspension and we've got a lot of work to do to keep moving forward."
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Alitalia Aprilia's Max Biaggi took the double World Superbike win in Portugal yesterday but was pushed hard by Britain's Leon Haslam in both legs.
The Alstare Suzuki man was hard on the Italian's heels in both races but the superior top speed of the RSV4 give Biaggi the small advantage he needed down Portimao's long straight.
"It's a pleasure to be back on top after the problems we had in Australia," said Biaggi. "We've improved with respect to last year. The pace was a bit slower in Race 2 and we were all quite close. It was really a great battle with a lot of passes and a few mistakes. I'm really very happy for this dual victory because it is truly a great outcome, both for me and my team, as well as Aprilia, which is really doing a great job."
Jonathan Rea, on the Ten Kate Honda, took third place in race one after Cal Crutchlow crashed out but the situation was reversed in the second leg when Rea's Fireblade went bang early on, leaving the Sterilgarda Yamaha man to fend off Carlos Checa for the final podium spot.
Biaggi's team-mate Leon Camier took a brace of fifths in only his second meeting with the Aprilia team while former MotoGP man James Toseland battled hard from a 15th-place grid slot to take sixth in race two.
Click here for results
Sterilgarda Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow has blitzed to his debut World Superbike pole position at Portugal's Portimao circuit this afternoon and also obliterated Ben Spies' pole record in the process.
Crutchlow was a full four-tenths of a second faster than Spies' time from last year as Brits top and tail the front row for tomorrow's double header. Alstare Suzuki's Leon Haslam is in fourth with Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa in between.
Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea is fifth with Jakub Smrz, Shane Byrne and Troy Corser rounding out the second row. Former MotoGP man James Toseland crashed out of the second Superpole session and will start way down in 15th.
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Alstare Suzuki's Leon Haslam has taken provisional pole during the first World Superbike qualifying session at Portimao, just holding off late charges from Carlos Checa, Michel Fabrizio and Max Biaggi in the dying seconds.
Haslam is keen to continue his form from Phillip Island and just kept ahead of the Xerox Ducati-mounted Fabrizio by just 0.032s with Checa, on the Althea Ducati in third and Biaggi's last-lap dash keeping him on the provisional front row.
]]> Returning former double WSB Champion James Toseland and team-mate Cal Crutchlow were bumped onto row two after putting in early fast laps, with Shane Byrne, on the second Althea Ducati, in seventh.Reigning British Superbike Champ Leon Camier hauled himself into ninth, while Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea slumped to 10th with PBM Kawasaki's Tom Sykes in 15th.
1 91 L. HASLAM GBR Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'43.476 22 159,759 300,0
2 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 1'43.508 0.032 0.032 20 159,709 300,8
3 7 C. CHECA ESP Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1'43.645 0.169 0.137 22 159,498 295,9
4 3 M. BIAGGI ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.688 0.212 0.043 25 159,432 306,8
5 52 J. TOSELAND GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.735 0.259 0.047 26 159,360 305,9
6 35 C. CRUTCHLOW GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.769 0.293 0.034 20 159,308 305,1
7 67 S. BYRNE GBR Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1'43.881 0.405 0.112 21 159,136 296,7
8 96 J. SMRZ CZE Team PATA B&G Racing Ducati 1098R 1'43.932 0.456 0.051 24 159,058 299,2
9 2 L. CAMIER GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'44.041 0.565 0.109 26 158,891 305,9
10 65 J. REA GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.042 0.566 0.001 20 158,890 302,5
11 41 N. HAGA JPN Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 1'44.098 0.622 0.056 25 158,804 301,7
12 11 T. CORSER AUS BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1'44.203 0.727 0.105 23 158,644 301,7
13 76 M. NEUKIRCHNER GER HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.272 0.796 0.069 21 158,539 302,5
14 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'44.423 0.947 0.151 21 158,310 303,4
15 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.559 1.083 0.136 18 158,104 299,2
16 57 L. LANZI ITA DFX Corse Ducati 1098R 1'44.851 1.375 0.292 23 157,664 294,3
17 88 A. PITT AUS Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 1'44.852 1.376 0.001 22 157,662 299,2
18 99 L. SCASSA ITA Supersonic Racing Team Ducati 1098R 1'45.368 1.892 0.516 19 156,890 292,7
19 111 R. XAUS ESP BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1'45.406 1.930 0.038 19 156,834 298,3
20 49 M. TAMADA JPN Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 1'45.522 2.046 0.116 17 156,661 291,9
21 32 S. MORAIS RSA ECHO CRS Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.933 2.457 0.411 23 156,053 289,5
22 15 M. BAIOCCO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.096 2.620 0.163 22 155,814 289,5
23 95 R. HAYDEN USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.657 3.181 0.561 23 154,994 292,7
24 31 V. IANNUZZO ITA S.C.I. Honda Garvie Image Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.805 4.329 1.148 9 153,344 285,7
The 2010 World Superbike Championship kicked off with a British winner Down Under as Leon Haslam claimed victory in the season's opening race at Phillip Island by the narrowest of margins.
Haslam withstood a charging Michel Fabrizio to take the Race One win by just four thousandths of a second in one of the closest finishes in the championship's history. Noriyuki Haga took the third step on the podium.
Race One proved a mixed bag for the other Brits in the field. Jonny Rea took a solid fourth on his HANNspree Ten Kate Honda, but Leon Camier, Tom Sykes and Shane Byrne had to settle for 11th and 12th respectively.
And Race One was one to forget for returning former WSBK Champion James Toseland and current World Supersport Champ Cal Crutchlow, who both crashed out inside the opening five laps of the race.
Haslam looked set to claim a memorable double in Race Two, but a fantastic performance by Spanish veteran Carlos Checa saw the former MotoGP star claim victory, just three tenths of a second ahead of the Brit.
Fabrizio made it two podiums in two starts with a well-deserved third and popular French rider Sylvain Guintoli claimed fourth.
Phillip Island produced some fantastic, close racing and demonstrated the strength in depth of the World Superbike grid in 2010.
The paddock moves on to Portimao in Portugal next month for Round Two, which takes place on the weekend of 26th-28th March.
]]>RACE ONE: TOP TEN
1. Leon Haslam (GBR)
2. Michel Fabrizio (ITA)
3. Noriyuki Haga (JAP)
4. Jonathan Rea (GBR)
5. Max Biaggi (ITA)
6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA)
7. Carlos Checa (SPA)
8. Jakub Smrz (CZE)
9. Troy Corser (AUS)
10. Lorenzo Lanzi (ITA)
THE BRITS
Leon Haslam (1st), Jonathan Rea (4th), Leon Camier (11th), Tom Sykes (13th), Shane Byrne (14th), Cal Crutchlow (DNF), James Toseland (DNF)
RACE TWO: TOP TEN
1. Carlos Checa (SPA)
2. Leon Haslam (GBR)
3. Michel Fabrizio (ITA)
4. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA)
5. Noriyuki Haga (JAP)
6. Jonathan Rea (GBR)
7. Troy Corser (AUS)
8. Max Biaggi (ITA)
9. Cal Crutchlow (GBR)
10. James Toseland (GBR)
THE BRITS
Leon Haslam (2nd), Jonathan Rea (6th), Cal Crutchlow (9th), James Toseland (10th), Leon Camier (11th), Shane Byrne (12th), Tom Sykes (DNF)
That weekend really didn't go as planned. I wanted to end my year with Stiggy with a double podium at least and I ended it with 2 DNFs and a load of stitches.
My crash in warm up was a bit strange and although it wasn't a massive crash I fell and slid on my elbow. I ground a bit of the bone away and the doctors in Costa's Clinica Mobile had to stitch it inside and out. It was a massive hole so a big thanks to them for getting me back out and ready for the two races that I did not finish.
I now have two days of hard testing on my new Suzuki, I can't tell you how excited I am and will fill you all in later on in the week on how it's all gone.
I would like to thanks all of you for being my loyal fans and really getting behind me this year, it's been really tough towards the end but I am really happy with my sixth place in the championship and next year I'm sure will only get better.
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James Toseland will tomorrow start to get to grips with the Sterilgarda Yamaha he will race in his spiritual home of World Superbikes. The MotoGP man, who has one race left before he swaps with Ben Spies, will spend two days at the Portugese Portimao track, sizing up the opposition.
There are people who have said Toseland is a shoo-in for the title before he has even turned a wheel. No. He will have to learn to ride the R1 as it is a very different beast to his YZR-M1. It's less adjustable and has a different electronics package, although still Magneti Marelli.
Plus he still has old stager Noriyuki Haga to deal with, plus Leon Haslam on a competitive bike, his team-mate Cal Crutchlow, Ducati's Michel Fabrizio, Jonathan Rea, the list goes on. It won't be easy.
It is expected that James Toseland will do a straight swap with Ben Spies and return to the World Superbike Champion with Yamaha to team up with current World Supersport series leader Cal Crutchlow.
Toseland, who is a double WSB Champion, has underperformed in his second year in MotoGP but would be a strong contender for the 2010 World Superbike title.
And if Crutchlow is on the factory bike next year, he will need a calming and experienced team-mate as the former British Supersport Champion can be erratic and headstrong, as his crash at Imola yesterday three laps from the end of the race shows.
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A schoolboy error by World Supersport series leader Cal Crutchlow earlier on today has blown the title chase wide open as rival Eugene Laverty is now within three points of the Yamaha man.
Crutchlow was leading the race and would have extended the gap back to Laverty to over 20 points had he stayed upright in the two-part race - but Crutchlow got giddy with the job and fell with three laps to go.
Laverty is right back in the hunt and his crew chief even went so far as to text the words "Game On" yesterday evening. Game on certainly, as behind the scenes, the pair are not exactly the best of friends... Sparks should fly at Magny-Cours next weekend.
Not to make you all jealous but I am currently sat outside my motor home with a chilled glass of lemonade in the blazing hot sun in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy.
I ran round the track last night and as the sun was setting the sky went blood red, it was amazing and even at 9 o'clock last night Oli and I went to a little pizza place over looking the track and sat outside and it was still so warm. Sorry.
I love this track, not just because of the way its is but also because of it's history. I have been to see Senna's Statue in the centre of the circuit which is quite surreal.
I spent last weekend dresses in 1940's clothes for the Goodwood Revival and riding a Matchless G50. There were loads of us there like Steve brogan, Steve Parrish, Jamie Whitham, James Haydon etc and we had a blast.
I only have one hour to do with my flying before I'm fully qualified so next year I think I'll fly down. I'm feeling good about this weekend so hopefully we can make up for the lost podiums in Germany.
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It looks like the deal has been done and Stiggy Motorsport will take over the running of Yamaha's World Supersport team, running under Monster sponsorship, with Eugene Laverty a possible second rider alongside the Stiggy-contracted Anthony West.
The connection between Yamaha and Stiggy has been a poorly-kept secret for months now as the Swedish ex-GP racer isn't majorly chuffed with the lack of support from Honda and has been looking around for a new manufacturers.
Yamaha is keen to off-load the Supersport team as it doesn't have a title sponsor and is an expensive business, especially as they also have to pay Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies and Colin Edwards.
It felt good to be back racing in Germany after such a long break, too I was back on the rostrum at the Nurburgring which was important
after two lowly fifth places at Donington and Brno. Yamaha were too
fast for us again but I was pretty pleased to finish in the runner-up
spot ahead of Lascorz.
It proved a terribly difficult weekend for us as our best engine blew on Saturday morning and the bike went on fire. I believe we can challenge Yamaha at Imola where we tested back in July; the Honda chassis is very precise and so the more tracktime we get, the better.
It was so bloody cold at the Nurburgring. Friday was wet and
miserable and although the weather picked up over the weekend the
temperature remained baltic. I spent a few days in Dusseldorf after
the race and I couldn't believe how much better the weather was. I
was cycling in 32℃ on Tuesday just 150km from the circuit where the
temperature had been in the mid-teens. Strange thing geography.
Did anyone see Alex De Angelis' Friday practice crash? I don't
like to criticise but my God man, sort it out! He turned too tightly
at the first corner and crashed on the grass on the inside, that's
just not on for a guy who's racing at the pinnacle of the sport. His
race crash wasn't much better.
I'm going to Croft tomorrow to watch BSB practice then I'll head
back to Ireland to enjoy the weekend at home. It would be nice to see
John land a podium before the season's out, he's got seven
opportunities left as there's three races at Oulton Park and I reckon he can do it.
By the way, Michael was really strong all weekend in Germany but unfortunately he fell early in the race. Here's a tip for you if you like a spot of gambling. Get down the bookies and bet on Michael Laverty finishing in the top six at Imola, you'll get some good odds on that un! Don't say I never give you anything.
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Just got home to good flying weather which is where I am going to be for the next couple of weeks. I am a bit disappointed after the weekend as I really feel I could have had a couple of podiums, if not a win.
My pace was good in both races but I was just a bit unlucky getting nudged by a couple of other riders in both races, but as I always say that's racing. In race one Johnny Rea pushed me out in the first turn and it dropped me back to about 10th and it took me a while to come through, by the time I did the front runners where too far ahead.
In the second race, my start was much better and I was up to second place when Ben Spies did quite a harsh move, he lifted up and I had no choice but to go on the gravel when I rejoined something electrical had broken on my bike and I couldn't accelerate and ended up being passed by Max too. As far as the track goes I loved, loved, loved it.
All you have to do is absorb it, learn from it and get over it. We now have a couple of weeks before Imola to train and talk with the team on how we can make more improvements on the bike.
I have the Goodwood Revival next weekend and am racing in the classic race against Jeremy McWilliams and James Whitham, so I feel it's going to be a slightly competitive weekend, but fun all the same. I have about 18 solo hours to do in my little plane before I get my licence so I'm going to be cracking on with that before Imola.
See ya later
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So Ben Spies has finally made his mind up and will remain with Yamaha for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Well, the information from Yamaha actually says "forsees" he will stay in WSB.
This is either something that has been lost in translation from a Europe-based team or that Spies has signed for Yamaha and they think he will stay in WSB for 2010 and move to MotoGP in 2011 to Tech3. But they haven't yet made up their minds.
If he does stay, then it's good news for James Toseland as he will stand a much bigger chance of retaining his MotoGP ride. But Yamaha may be looking at the wage bills of Toseland and Colin Edwards combined, subtracting Spies' and seeing what they have left.
If Spies does stay in WSB means one of two things for Airwaves Yamaha's Leon Camier: 1) He gets Ben Spies as a team-mate at Sterilgarda Yamaha for 2010 or, 2) he has to start looking elsewhere for a World Superbike ride...