World SuperBike - Magny Cours Qualifying Race 1 2007

World SuperBikes: Former Magny Cours race winner springs surprise

(World SuperBike Release) FORMER MAGNY-COURS RACE WINNER SPRINGS A FINAL ROUND SURPRISE

LANZI FROM BAYLISS AS 999 RIDERS FIRE DOUBLE BARREL SALUTE The final race of the 2007 season is the final showing of the Ducati 999F07 in factory colors, and this far things could hardly be better for the official duo of Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), who posted a perfect 1-2 at near record pace, despite the track starting out wet in the first qualifying session. A sudden cloudburst just before the Superbikes took to the track for the timed session saw only one rider set a time in the first half an hour, then all 20 riders immersed themselves in a frantic battle to improve their times as the track dried. Lanzi is a former race winner at Magny-Cours, in 2005 when in NCR/Caracchi Ducati colors.

HAGA BEST-PLACED OF CHAMPIONSHIP HOPEFULS Three riders are still in with a chance of ultimate championship success this weekend, and today's best in the final rankings was Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) third fastest overall, and third in the championship standings.. James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is the championship leader going into the final races of the year, but today he went from fastest of all in the untimed morning session to seventh. Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) had an even harder time, ending with a 14th best time. He is currently second in the standings, and needs to make serious ground on Toseland's 29-point championship lead to win the title in his first SBK season.

NIETO IN THE FRONT RANK AHEAD OF CORSER Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) was a fine fourth today boosting his morale in his final weekend in green colours with a regular top five rider just behind, in the shape of Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia). Sixth place in today's sometimes disjointed order is tough Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati), from Toseland and the second of the official Kawasaki runners, Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), who was eighth. Alto Evolution Honda rider Karl Muggeridge posted a top nine performance despite losing some time in the morning session, while the top ten was rounded out by Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda), winning a battle with Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Jakub Smrz (Caracchi Ducati) was 12th fastest rider on show in the second session today.

NEUKIRCHNER IN AS KAGAYAMA BOWS TO INEVITABLE Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) was forced to miss the Magny-Cours race after old injured flared up at Vallelunga last week, and thus the second of the official Suzuki machines was taken over by Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), a regular rider in the Suzuki Germany SBK team. He went 13th fastest, just one place off Smrz, but one place ahead of team regular Biaggi. Class rookie Yoann Tiberio (Alto Evolution Honda) was in strong form for a rider of such inexperience, and went 15th from 20 entrants.

WORLD SUPERSPORT - CHARPENTIER MAKES EARLY PLAY ON HOME TRACK Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set the fastest lap on the opening day of the final WSS championship round, shortly before the rains came to blight the start of the Superbike session. Charpentier was almost at his own track best pace with today's 1'42.617, putting him 0.391 seconds up on Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) and 0.431 up on new WSS champion, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The Italian duo of Gianluca Vizziello (RG Yamaha Team) and Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni) went fourth and fifth fastest respectively.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP - CORTI IN FRONT AFTER FIRST QUALIFYING A new best lap of 1'43.065 delivered Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) the provisional pole place at Magny-Cours, as the championship challenger outpaced the next best rider, Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki) by over 0.6 seconds. Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) was third, Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Racing Team MV Agusta) fourth. Championship leader Matteo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) was only 18th, almost 2.5 seconds from Corti.

POS NO. RIDER BIKE TIME
1 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 999 F07 1'40.962
2 21 Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 999 F07 1'41.334
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 1'41.402
4 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'41.423
5 11 Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 1'41.425
6 111 Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 999 F06 1'41.731
7 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'41.742
8 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'41.840
9 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.012
10 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.136