World SuperBike - Lausitz 2007

World SuperBikes: Toseland lead cut after hard German weekend

(World SBK Racing Release) TOSELAND'S LEAD CUT AFTER HARD GERMAN WEEEKEND
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took turns to score full points in the 24-lap Lausitz races, with Haga overhauling Bayliss in race one, then a man-to-man duel in race two was taken by Bayliss, as his best pace returned in the latter stages. With Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) scoring second and third in the Lausitz races, in his first competitive visit to the track, world championship leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) left Germany with a much reduced championship lead of 41, 25 points less than he arrived with.

RACE ONE
Despite a massive surge in the first few laps it was clear at half race distance that Bayliss would not win the first race of the day, and in the final analysis Noriyuki Haga secured a massive 11-second margin of victory over Max Biaggi and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia). Bayliss was a slowing fourth, having used up his grip in the early laps, but of most importance to the championship Toseland had rear traction problems which held him down in ninth place, despite starting the first lap on the tail of the leading bunch.

RACE TWO
In the second 24-lap contest, Bayliss was once more a convincing early leader, until Haga caught and passed him with ease. Thereafter Bayliss hung on in, and even re-passed Haga, then stretched out a lead of 1.353 seconds at the end. Biaggi had a largely lonely race to third, while Toseland regained rear push and control on his spare bike to secure fourth place, and only lose a handful of points in race two. Corser was fifth, unable to keep up his forward push once he got on the tail of a defensive Toseland.

In the championship table, Toseland has 375 points, Haga 334, Biaggi 322, Bayliss 296 and Corser 254.

ROLFO AND XAUS FIGHT INTO TOP PLACES
Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) fell and remounted in race one, to finish 12th. In race two he scored sixth while Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) took fifth and seventh place finishes, after finding his race one set-up better than race two. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) had an unhappy day in race trim, scoring eighth and then a 12th, as he chases Xaus in the championship table.

KAWASAKI RIDERS ENJOY RACE ONE
Pole position sitter Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) had to give best to his team-mate Regis Laconi in race one, with the Frenchman sixth and Spaniard seventh, but in race two each rider had to settle for less, as Nieto went eighth and Laconi 11th. Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) could not race due to suffering a broken left hand in a practice crash. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) had a two disappointing races, crashing in race one and being unable to restart, then finishing only 13th in race two. Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Team YZF) scored 11th in race one, while Steve Martin (Celani Suzuki) went was 14th in each contest.

WORLD SUPERSPORT - PARKES WINS AGAIN
Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) scored his second win of the 2007 season, after a race-long fight with World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The win puts Parkes third in the championship fight, now within striking distance of second, held by Lausitz race retiree, Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki). The final podium place at Lausitz went to Matthieu Lagrive (Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR). British riders Craig Jones (Reve Ekerold Honda) and Tommy Hill (Yamaha World SSP Racing) were fourth and fifth respectively.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP - VAN KEYMEULEN WINS
Didier Vankeymeulen (TTSL-MGM Racing Yamaha) fought off challenges from first Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) and then eventual second place rider Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) to win the 14-lap Lausitz race. Corti was third, with Aussie Mark Aitchison (Celani Suzuki) having to come from a long way back to take a close fourth. Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) was just off the leading group, in fourth.

Championship leader Matteo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) was only 8th in Lausitz, and thus sees his lead cut. He is on a total of 136 points, with Simeon second on 127, Canepa 125 and Aitchison 121.