From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Toseland and Haga Share Spoils in Round One

With bizarre weather conditions affecting the morning of raceday at Valencia Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) took an early lead in the first race, only to fall and lose a possible 25 points. His team-mate James Toseland was the man to capitalize most and he duly took the win in the first 23-lap contest. In the second race Laconi’s luck continued on its downward spiral, as his chain jumped the sprockets and he had to pull out of the second contest in one day. Noriyuki Haga, from the Renegade Ducati team, rookies in SBK as they are, duly rode like his old self to win the second race convincingly, from second place Toseland.

With all riders on the same spec Pirelli tyres this season the competition in each race, the frequently wet first race and the dry second, the competition was levelled out to a great degree, with riding talent and machine set-up the determining factors overall.

In the first race, some riders opted for slicks, a combination of wets and slicks, or full wets with most of the quickest riders proving to have opted for the full wet combo. Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) ripped his way to an immensely satisfying second place after a winter of extreme discontent, and rode his ‘old’ 998 Ducati to second place in race one, fourth in race two. Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) was desperately unhappy to be dropped out of contention by a mechanical problem in race one, but made up for his disappointment to secure a career best third place in race two.

A historic moment came to Chris Walker and the Petronas team, with the English rider delivering them their first podium finish, third in race one. Walker went seventh in the dry race two, while his team-mate Troy Corser fell while making a charge in the leading position in race one, easing his way to 11th in the final leg.

Chris Vermeulen had an eventful induction into World Superbike, as did his Ten Kate Honda team, after he had to pit in wet conditions, restart and finish 12th. In race two a terrible start saw him well down the order, only for him to charge back into contention and finish fifth on his CBR1000RR.

A great day in many ways for race two winner Noriyuki Haga started badly in race one, as he was forced to retire with gear selection problems. His team-mate Leon Haslam made up for it in some regards by finishing a battling fifth. He ran off track in race two fighting back to ninth place.

A brilliant result in the changeable race one conditions delivered a sixth place to class rookie Gianluca Nannelli (Pedercini Ducati). Running slick tyres in race one Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati NCR 999RS) went seventh and then sixth on his SBK debut. Local rider Sergio Fuertes sent the local fans’ hearts a flutter with his strong front running in the first race, and his eventual eighth place was a personal best for the Spaniard.

In the World Championship itself, Toseland is a clear leader, 45 points to Chili’s 33. Haga’s win and DNF scored him 25 points, for joint third with Chris Walker.

Van Den Goorbergh Takes Supersport Win – In the first round of the World Supersport Championship, a 1-2 finish for the Yamaha Italia team gave Jurgen van den Goorbergh the race win, and Fabien Foret second place, after an outstgandingly unpredictable 23-lap race. Held in the dry after the rains of the morning, the competition was intense, with multiple changes of the lead and a waxing and waning in fortunes for many of the top contenders. Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) fell from an early leading position, and after a Honda-Honda fight between pole man Karl Muggeridge and Klaffi Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier, the Yamaha riders came to the fore at just the right time. The all-new Suzuki of Katsuaki Fujiwara took third place after working his way up as other riders slipped back. An outstanding ride from Lorenzo Lanzi pushed the Ducati 749R rider from a lowly qualifying position to fourth place.