[kropotkin thinks...] - Ducati And BMW WSBK Riders Finally Get Some Track Time At Val

[Ninjette Newsbot]

If you enjoyed reading this article, please click here to view it on Kropotkin's site, MotoGP Matters.

-----------------

After two days of sitting in garages watching the rain fall, the World Superbike and Moto2 riders still left at the Valencia circuit finally got a chance to test their bikes in anger. The relief was tangible; as the formerly idle riders broadcast their happiness to be riding on Twitter.

With conditions suitable for riding - dry, sunny, but still cold - the teams still remaining at the circuit made the most of the little time they had. It was Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa who came out on top, setting a surprisingly good 1'33.8 given the cool conditions, two tenths of a second ahead of Noriyuki Haga on the factory Xerox Ducati. Worrying for the factory Ducati effort, Shane Byrne on the other Althea Ducati was just a tenth behind Haga, and a couple of tenths ahead of Haga's teammate Michel Fabrizio. Czech rider Jakub Smrz also finally got some track time, riding the Guandalini-Borciani Ducati, now that the team has found some funding from Pata, and Italian snack manufacturer.

The BMW's had the worst of the test, with both Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser down in the 1'35s, and Xaus running the same time as Alex Hofmann on the Aprilia. Aprilia will be glad of the track time, as their factory riders Max Biaggi and Leon Camier were already making their way back to Italy to the Noale factory.

read more