FIRST DAY OF WORK AT THE RICARDO
TORMO CIRCUIT IN VALENCIA
Perfect weather welcomed the World Superbike
Championship riders on the first day of testing at the
Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia. A high of 30 degrees
the air temperature were recorded, while the track
reached just over 40 degrees, allowing the Winston Ten
Kate Honda Team riders to take positive early steps. Two
more days are still available for the four white and
blue Winston Ten Kate Honda Team's musketeers to improve
and prepare their bikes for the third round of the
Superbike World Championship programmed on April 23,
also at Valencia.
Ronald Ten Kate - Winston Ten Kate Honda Team Manager
"It's good to be back racing in Europe even if we
have already had some satisfying results in Qatar and
Phillip Island.
Regarding the Superbike boys, I am
very happy to see Karl back strongly in the top five,
after the first two races in which he had some
difficulties. He is improving step by step. With James,
we are trying different parts and pieces but we still
haven't found the right setting. Here in Valencia the
track situation is always strange because it changes so
much from the morning to the afternoon and it hasn't
been easy to adjust the bike from one session to the
other. But this is why it's good to be here for the
test, it is useful to learn more and more about the bike
and about our riders' preferences. I am quite sure we'll
be able to pick it up tomorrow."
Karl Muggeridge - SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider
(5th position - 57 laps - Fastest lap
1'36.327)
"The first day has been pretty good for us. We made
some adjustments to prepare our bike and results have
come. The problems I had during the Australian races are
mainly gone and I am positive about the work we will be
able to do in the next couple of days. I fell during the
afternoon session because I expected the front tyre I
was trying to be a lot better, but I guess I pushed a
bit too much and found myself on the ground. Not a big
problem as that was a quite slow turn and luckily I
didn't hurt myself, which is the main thing."
FINE WEATHER ALLOWS ANOTHER GOOD
DAY OF TESTING AT VALENCIA
The second day of the Valencia SBK tests proved to be
not as hot as day one, but still provided a good
platform for the World Superbike riders to get down to
work. A light wind characterized the day but without
disturbing the work in progress on track too much. For
the Supersport boys, Charpentier and Sofuoglu, it was
another day in front of everybody while real
improvements were made by Karl and James, on the Winston
Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RRs.
Tomorrow is the final day of testing
before the restart of the season in Valencia on April
23, where James and Sebastien will try to attain and
maintain the lead in their respective World
championships.
Ronald Ten Kate - Winston Ten Kate Honda Team Manager
"On the Superbike side of things we are still facing
some problems to find a good set up around here. Like I
said yesterday we are testing to learn more and more
about this year's machinery. James has some chattering
problems at the moment, but Karl Muggeridge is not
encountering this. Karl is improving step by step. I
think tomorrow we will be able to solve the chatter and
improve the lap times with James. "
Karl Muggeridge - SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider
(8th position - 65 laps - Fastest
lap 1'36.034)
"The time has gotten better on the second bike but
bike one had some problems. This morning I hurt my back
somehow and it surely didn't help me through the
afternoon session. Also, the weather wasn't the best
this afternoon, due to a quite strong wind, but apart
from these things I can consider myself satisfied with
the work we did today. Tomorrow we'll concentrate on
pushing the bike a bit more and try some long runs.
We'll also try some qualifying tyres that Pirelli will
provide us with."
LAST DAY OF TEST PARTICULARLY
UNLUCKY FOR THE WINSTON TEN KATE HONDA RIDERS
Valencia was hard and difficult for
the "white-blue" riders of the Winston Ten Kate Honda
Team with each involved in separate falls which have
prejudiced the result of the last day on the Ricardo
Tormo circuit.
Karl Muggeridge, who fell this
morning, has fractured the twelfth vertebra and the
second lumbar. Assisted by the Mobile Clinic's "angels",
Karl, will still probably not be able to step on his
CBR1000 for about a month.
In the words of Doctor Corbascio the
evaluation of the Australian rider is thus: "The
x-ray in the hospital has showed a fracture on the D12,
twelfth spine, and on the L2, lumbar 2. These two
vertebrae are really important; therefore I believe Karl
will not be able to step back on a bike much before 40
days have passed. He will surely miss the Valencia race
and after some more medical control we will evaluate if
he will be in the best condition to race in
Monza in the first weekend of May.
In this period he will have to wear a cast which will
totally immobilize the damaged area."
Karl's team-mate, James Toseland,
couldn't end the morning session due to a fall, as he
badly hit his head after a spectacular high side, flying
into the air before landing heavily. The tough English
rider, after the ritual medical checks, was able to be
back on his bike for the two hour afternoon session.
Ronald Ten Kate - Winston Ten
Kate Honda Team Manager
"Pretty bad ending of a test for us with two riders
in the medical centre, after just half of the morning
session. At that time the track reached its best
condition and, unluckily, we weren't able to use it.
James got a big hit on the head which left him not in
the best possible condition for the afternoon session.
But Karl got the worst of it and has fractured his
second vertebra, but he should be back with us in a
month. It happened during the in-lap, which is strange,
because he was not pushing that hard. None of our riders
used qualifying tyres in the morning and this is the
explanation why we are a bit behind in the standings. I
am sure we could have been in the top five or six with
both riders because most of the problems we had in the
first two days were almost solved. ."
Karl Muggeridge - SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider
(Overall: 18th position - 144 laps -
Fastest lap 1'35.956)
"Not the best day of my life, but I guess this sort
of thing can happen in our job. I knew I was hurt
straight away, the pain was quite strong. Now all I can
do is to relax so that I can be back in top form as soon
as possible. Tomorrow I will go to a specialist in
Switzerland and we will see what the latest situation
is. I want to thank the doctors from the Clinica Mobile
who have been wonderful today."