2009 World Superbike Championship Round 3, Valencia

[The Phantom]

WSB Race 1:

Pos No. Rider Country Bike Fastest Lap Diff Total laps
1 41 N. Haga JPN Ducati 1098R 1'34.862 23
2 84 M. Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098R 1'35.179 3.677 23
3 76 M. Neukirchner GER Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.033 3.959 23
4 55 R. Laconi FRA Ducati 1098R 1'35.121 4.210 23
5 91 L. Haslam GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.381 13.824 23
6 71 Y. Kagayama JPN Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.287 14.562 23
7 66 T. Sykes GBR Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.562 15.155 23
8 3 M. Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'35.372 16.316 23
9 67 S. Byrne GBR Ducati 1098R 1'35.680 20.361 23
10 23 B. Parkes AUS Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'35.521 23.878 23
11 121 J. Hopkins USA Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.778 30.902 23
12 9 R. Kiyonari JPN Honda CBR1000RR 1'36.082 31.298 23
13 111 R. Xaus ESP BMW S1000 RR 1'36.477 32.660 23
14 100 M. Tamada JPN Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.588 42.156 23
15 33 T. Hill GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'36.768 43.040 23
16 31 K. Muggeridge AUS Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'36.575 45.204 23
17 86 A. Badovini ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.146 52.023 23
18 99 L. Scassa ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.212 52.474 23
19 25 D. Salom ESP Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.946 55.775 23
20 15 M. Baiocco ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.021 56.202 23
RET 7 C. Checa ESP Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.471 2 Laps 21
RET 94 D. Checa ESP Yamaha YZF R1 1'37.029 10 Laps 13
RET 24 B. Roberts AUS Ducati 1098R 1'36.222 11 Laps 12
RET 19 B. Spies USA Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.276 14 Laps 9
RET 77 V. Iannuzzo ITA Honda CBR1000RR 1'37.046 14 Laps 9
RET 88 R. Resch AUT Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'37.743 17 Laps 6
RET 96 J. Smrz CZE Ducati 1098R 1'35.638 18 Laps 5
RET 11 T. Corser AUS BMW S1000 RR 22 Laps 1
RET 65 J. Rea GBR Honda CBR1000RR 22 Laps 1


WSB Race 2:

Pos. No. Name Country Bike Fastest lap Diff Laps
1 41 N. Haga JPN Ducati 1098R 1'34.618 23
2 19 B. Spies USA Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.004 5.105 23
3 84 M. Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098R 1'35.301 6.386 23
4 55 R. Laconi FRA Ducati 1098R 1'35.085 6.573 23
5 91 L. Haslam GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.624 14.075 23
6 7 C. Checa ESP Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.337 17.333 23
7 76 M. Neukirchner GER Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.336 19.207 23
8 3 M. Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'35.674 20.697 23
9 9 R. Kiyonari JPN Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.519 21.015 23
10 66 T. Sykes GBR Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.928 22.581 23
11 67 S. Byrne GBR Ducati 1098R 1'35.938 22.604 23
12 121 J. Hopkins USA Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.889 23.952 23
13 65 J. Rea GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'36.098 29.082 23
14 96 J. Smrz CZE Ducati 1098R 1'35.963 29.277 23
15 11 T. Corser AUS BMW S1000 RR 1'36.030 32.384 23
16 111 R. Xaus ESP BMW S1000 RR 1'36.381 35.125 23
17 23 B. Parkes AUS Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.244 38.344 23
18 24 B. Roberts AUS Ducati 1098R 1'36.986 39.161 23
19 31 K. Muggeridge AUS Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'36.507 39.374 23
20 94 D. Checa ESP Yamaha YZF R1 1'36.788 49.904 23
21 25 D. Salom ESP Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.975 52.631 23
22 33 T. Hill GBR Honda CBR1000RR 1'37.021 52.966 23
23 77 V. Iannuzzo ITA Honda CBR1000RR 1'37.016 53.196 23
24 99 L. Scassa ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.107 53.491 23
25 88 R. Resch AUT Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'37.297 1'19.946 23
RET 71 Y. Kagayama JPN Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.461 2 Laps 21
RET 15 M. Baiocco ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.264 3 Laps 20
RET 100 M. Tamada JPN Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.674 12 Laps 11
RET 86 A. Badovini ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'37.070 16 Laps 7

[The Phantom]

I predict top ten for Hopkins in race 1 and for him to better his race 1 result in race 2.

OK, not quite there yet - 11th and 12th. Hopkins shored up the back end of the fast pack in his first race. Given the way West stormed into WSS last year you could be forgiven for thinking Hopkins is not quite up to scratch, but it is fair to say that WSS is not quite WSB... I am confident that Hopkins will be on the podium very soon. Haslam's pair of 5ths is evidence enough that the Stiggy bike has the goods.

Congratulations to Nori!!! Fantastic achievement for him, and especially so early in the season. In race one I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a '21' on the front of the Ducati.

Also brilliant work from Joaquin Fabrizio to back up his team-mate (Tardozzi will be well pleased) and Laconi certainly deserves an honorable mention (at the very least!) for his performance over the weekend. Neukirchner too showed the excellent form we often see from him.

Not the most memorable round for BMW, and Aprilia had a bad one too given the recent form of the team.

[ChrisS]

Well, Haga walked the race effortlessly. I knew the race was over after the first 5 laps, but to see Spies crash out was very surprising.

Supersport: Crutchlow made West look like standing still in the last lap. I wanted West to win, but Crutchlow deployed those Rossi-like tactics at the perfect moment.

I suppose Eurosport is not gonna show the SBK Race 2 because of some live cycling, and since SBK updated their website, I can't watch the races online. So, just great.

Same situation here, no race 2 on eurosport and worldsbk.com no longer shows live races in my country

Race 1 wasn't anything special but thats about what I expected from Valencia. Fantastic ride by Haslam, top Honda again

Supersport started slowly but West and Crutchlow gave us a good show, Superb tactical ride by Crutchlow.

Nori mokin: mokin: I enjoyed all of the races.

Who had the big wobble on the side of the grid at the start of race 2? He did well to recover anyway.

[Cryogeneric]

Well, Haga simply emulated perfection today. From the points perspective, Spies DNF in race 1 was painful. Haga would have still doubled even if he hadn't crashed, though.

[Roby44]

To get into Superpole first time out is pretty good from where I sit, with the potential to get himself further up the order during the knock-out (moot point now as he's out after SP2). I predict top ten for Hopkins in race 1 and for him to better his race 1 result in race 2.

Roby could have too.....

But I'm ok with Hopper staying on and getting some points

[The Phantom]

Roby could have too.....

But I'm ok with Hopper staying on and getting some points

Good sport Roby

I didn't watch race 2, just read that Hopper was 8th but faded in the last few laps as his tyres went off - so I was closer than I thought! and funnily enough in Race 1 I was thinking to myself that tyres could be the major problem for him - it takes a race or three to get a handle on how your new bike uses up its tyres.

Roby44 - I agree with The Phantom, good sport. Hopper used to be just the guy on the blue bike and then the guy on the green bike to me and then I saw a motogp doco and gained some respect for the guy. I've been a Haga fan for so long that I cannot conceive the day he will retire and my not going thru all the dramas when watching the races - cheering, covering my eyes, pacing the floor and willing him to win. Anyway, it's shaping up to be an exciting year.

[Roby44]

Roby44 - I agree with The Phantom, good sport. Hopper used to be just the guy on the blue bike and then the guy on the green bike to me and then I saw a motogp doco and gained some respect for the guy. I've been a Haga fan for so long that I cannot conceive the day he will retire and my not going thru all the dramas when watching the races - cheering, covering my eyes, pacing the floor and willing him to win. Anyway, it's shaping up to be an exciting year.

I know that feeling!!

[Rod Richardson]

CRUTCHLOW AND WEST AT WORK (LAST LAP)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDePf...e=channel_page

ENJOY