Round 11: Moscow *SPOILERS*

[MiniNinjaMk5]

Hey guys,

Thought I would start a thread here for this round of WSB!

Really looking forward to seeing this one, will be interesting how it pans out in a new venue and new country for the series, and for bike racing in general!

First qualifying times below! Melandri reckons the twisty bit at the start gives the Dukes half a second, and they certainly look like they have a good chance.

Hopefully, as the 'fly away' races often do, it should throw up some odd results! Will be interesting if Biaggi can hold back Melandri's winning streak, and also of couse I will be hoping that Guintoli can beat his old team

1. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 35.074s
2. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 35.284s
3. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Ducati 1098R 1m 35.751s
4. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 35.772s
5. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 1m 35.828s
6. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 35.905s
7. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R 1m 35.980s
8. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 35.988s
9. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 36.039s
10. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 36.061s
11. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R 1m 36.143s
12. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 36.174s
13. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 36.236s
14. John Hopkins USA FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 36.293s
15. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR 1m 36.326s
16. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR 1m 36.442s
17. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 36.470s
18. Leon Camier GBR FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 36.533s
19. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 36.911s
20. Alexander Lundh SWE Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 38.163s
21. David McFadden RSA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 38.372s

[MiniNinjaMk5]

In other news, Sykes has signed for Kawasaki again next year! Glad to see that happen, from the sounds of things the factory is putting direct support into the team again, and you have to think some money into it as well. Sykes said quite a lot about how great it was that his issues were getting dealt with by his engineers and then the factory back in Japan.

Times from Superpole:

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 1m 34.193s
2. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 34.549s
3. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 34.562s
4. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 35.170s
5. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 35.224s
6. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 35.237s
7. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 1m 35.253s
8. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R No Time

9. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 35.224s
10. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R 1m 35.255s
11. John Hopkins USA FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 35.678s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 1m 35.834s

13. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 1m 35.629s
14. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R 1m 35.678s
15. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Ducati 1098R 1m 35.689s
16. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 35.798s


Looks like Checa is going to be the man to beat, and perhaps his team mate? Guigliano fell at the start of SP3 so perhaps the position is a not a reflection of the speed he has shown throughout practice.

The first few corners are really tight and twisty, will be interesting to see a whole field of bikes going through it on the first lap!