ROSSI AND EDWARDS PLOT PHILLIP ISLAND SIEGE Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will be looking to turn Phillip Island a Gauloises Yamaha shade of blue this weekend as they head south to the state of Victoria in Australia with one remaining joint objective for the season. With three rounds to go and the riders’ and teams’ world championship titles already in the bag, Yamaha needs to leave Phillip Island 50 points clear of its nearest rival in the standings to secure the manufacturers’ championship for the first time since 2000. This would put the shine on a season of unprecedented Grand Prix success for the factory in the year of its 50th Anniversary. Rossi already has ten wins to his name this year, more than any other Yamaha rider has ever previously managed in a single campaign, and has his eye on number eleven at a circuit where he has taken victory for each of the last four seasons. His most recent victory there last year clinched the MotoGP World Championship for Yamaha for the first time in over a decade and ensured many happy memories for the team, with several members of Rossi’s pit crew hailing from Australia. Colin Edwards also has a special affiliation with Australia, as it is the country of his father’s birth. Whilst making a massive contribution to the team’s achievements this season, Edwards has his own personal agenda for the final three rounds and, in particular, this weekend. Boosted by the added support of hoards of friends and family and with years of World Superbike experience at the circuit, the Texan is aiming for a poignant first MotoGP victory and another step towards finishing second in the championship. This will be the 17th consecutive year that a Grand Prix has been held in Australia since 1989. The first two events were held at Phillip Island, followed by six consecutive seasons at Eastern Creek, before the series returned to ‘The Island’ in 1997. Sunday’s MotoGP race action gets underway at 14.30h local time (CET +8). VALENTINO ROSSI: RIDERS’ PARADISE Valentino Rossi’s memorable title success at Phillip Island last year was perhaps the most famous of his six Grand Prix victories at the circuit. For the past four seasons the Italian has dominated the MotoGP race in Australia but he also tasted success in previous seasons, winning the 250cc race in both 1998 and 1999. There is no doubt that the legendary track is a special venue for Rossi, although he revealed an even deeper affinity with the country itself ahead of the fifteenth round of the season. “Australia is one of my favourite countries,” says Rossi. “I always have a good time in Melbourne and in Phillip Island and once I made a trip to Surfers Paradise with some of my team. I really like the country and I always have fun there. It’s an important race for me because most of my mechanics are Australian so it’s their home race, like Mugello is for me. “Phillip Island is a great track, maybe my absolute favourite, and I have some wonderful memories of racing there. Winning the 500cc championship for the first time in 2001 was very special and of course winning the championship for Yamaha last year, which was probably the best title of them all. The track is very fast, very beautiful, and the Yamaha seems to work well there. “I have had some great, great battles there in the past – two years ago I managed to escape from Capirossi but last year was a hard battle with Gibernau until the last lap. In some parts I was faster than him and some other places slower and for sure it was a lot of fun for everybody watching. I have many rivals who can do well at Phillip Island so we will see this weekend. “Sometimes the weather is not so good and I hope it’s a bit warmer than last year! Still, I am looking forward to it. We had some small problems testing there in the winter but when we tested at Sepang everything was great but during the race weekend we had some problems, so I hope that for Phillip Island it’s the opposite!” COLIN EDWARDS: A HOME FROM HOME Like Rossi, Colin Edwards has extra reason to look forward to Phillip Island thanks to a series of impressive results there in the past. The American built a strong record at the track during his World Superbike career, finishing on the podium on no fewer than eight occasions, including a win in 2001 in atrocious weather conditions. With three races to go and just seven points separating him from that elusive second place in the championship, Edwards has two clear objectives. “Phillip Island I like, Valencia also, and we don’t know what to expect from Turkey so my mind is still set on winning one of those races and taking second in the championship,” says Edwards. “I’ve got a lot of family in Australia and obviously my connection with the country is very strong. Phillip Island is a race I always look forward to going to for those reasons and this year is no different.” “As for the circuit, we had a good test there in preseason and it is fast, which is the kind of track I have always liked. It has a bit of everything, from fifth gear to first, elevation, positive and negative camber, slow turns, fast turns”¦ all in the space of ten corners! But the biggest thing for me right now is that we learn from the problems we had in the race at Qatar. If we don’t then it doesn’t matter how much I like the track!” DAVIDE BRIVIO: HAPPY MEMORIES After the stresses and strains of three weeks on the road in Asia with the MotoGP World Championship on the line, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio says he is looking forward to a relatively stress-free trip to Australia, where the team will be doing everything they can to add the manufacturers’ title to their list of honours this season. “Phillip Island is a circuit that holds good memories for the team because we won the title there last year and it was a very special moment for everybody at Yamaha,” says Brivio. “Both Valentino and Colin like the track very much so we’re looking forward to a good race from both of them. We have already got the riders’ and teams’ titles and we would very much like to win the manufacturers’ title too, as well as trying to secure second position in the championship with Colin. We are very close now and all we can do is continue to give our best at each of the remaining three rounds and see what happens. “It makes Phillip Island an important race but we go there without feeling any pressure. It is a place the riders know well because they have been racing there for many years, also we complete a lot of preseason testing work there, but the conditions seem to be different every time so we’ll wait and see what this year holds! “Anyway, the Australians are very passionate about motorcycle racing and always come down to Phillip Island in big numbers. They are true MotoGP fans and always make it a very special atmosphere so we’re all looking forward to it.” BLAST FROM THE PAST: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY After seeing local hero Wayne Gardner take victory for the first two years of the Australian Grand Prix in 1989 and 1990 at Phillip Island, hopes were high for another home victory when the series switched to a new venue at Eastern Creek on the outskirts of Sydney in 1991. Not only was Gardner still in his prime, but a new young star was emerging in the shape of Mick Doohan, taking the challenge to Yamaha’s reigning World Champion Wayne Rainey. Despite starting from pole position, Rainey was ranked by some locals as an outsider for victory at Eastern Creek including the race organisers yet he romped home with a 2.5 second advantage over Doohan, with his Yamaha colleague John Kocinski completing the podium in third place. “Probably my favourite story about any of my trophies was the one I won at Eastern Creek in 1991,” smiles Rainey. “They moved the race there after two years at Phillip Island, which had both been won by Wayne Gardner, and it seemed the race organisers thought an Australian would win again. “The trophy was this incredible 1850s America’s Cup-style thing, which was worth a fortune, but they had only insured it to stay in Australia! They obviously didn’t count on me winning the race but on the Sunday night it was on its way back to the USA with me!” Throughout his career Rainey experienced a love-hate relationship with Australian fans and riders alike, with Gardner and Doohan two of his fiercest rivals. However, the Californian insists that the mutual respect that always existed between them still lasts to this day. “The Australians always got behind their Grand Prix riders and I really respected that. In fact, I was probably more popular myself in Australia than I was in the US because of the interest in motorcycle racing and the excellent coverage it was given on the television. They had some of the best tracks and the best fans in the world so it was always a great pleasure to race in Australia.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Phillip Island demands far more than just a fast bike to make for quick and consistent lap times. The sweeping and flowing circuit is possibly one of the ultimate tests of machine control and throttle accuracy, not to mention the sheer bravery and forcefulness required of the rider. Frequent heavy braking is less of a consideration at Phillip Island than most other tracks, and thus a certain level of stability under braking can be sacrificed to allow for greater cornering finesse and agility. The 4.448km Phillip Island track has undergone considerable trackside improvements over the years, aimed at enhancing rider safety. Nonetheless a fast lap of Phillip Island is still rated as one of the most adrenaline-fuelled experiences in any rider’s season. The compromise between setting the suspension at a hard enough level to handle the high cornering forces, while remaining supple over the few high speed ripples, is the goal at ‘The Island’. This also helps to prevent the rear end from trying to spin out on the slower corners, losing crucial acceleration. Overly stiff suspension will not allow the rear end to squat to the required degree under power, making the rear tyre work excessively hard around what is predominantly a left-handed track, promoting premature tyre wear. Rider confidence through suspension consistency is a key at such a fast track, allowing the rider to push the pace for the entire race distance. The seemingly never-ending final corner is crucial to a good lap time at Phillip Island, and a high speed exit will also determine how soon the rider can reach top speed down the long main straight, another important factor, especially in the last lap of a close race. Phillip Island’s exposed nature means that weather is a constant talking point in the Australian spring climate, adding to the potential VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 GP victories: 79 (40 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 154 (62 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) Phillip Island 2004 Results (Yamaha): Grid 2nd, Race 1st COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 46 (MotoGP) World Championships – 2 World Superbike Phillip Island 2004 Results (Honda): Grid 4th, Race 4th Phillip Island MotoGP Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati), 1’31.102 2004 Circuit Best Lap: Valentino Rossi (Honda) 1’30.068 2003

Circuit: Phillip Island Country: Australia Track length: 4448 m Opened: 1956 Fastest Lap Ever: 1:30.068 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) MotoGP lap record: 1:31.102 (Loris Capirossi, 2004) Last year MotoGP winner: Valentino Rossi The visit to Phillip Island will bring back sweet memories for the Gauloises Yamaha team and Valentino Rossi. About one year ago it was here where Rossi wrote history by winning the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, giving Yamaha its first title in the premier class since 1992, while Rossi won more victories (nine) in one season than any other Yamaha rider in history. By now this last record has already fallen at the previous victorious race in Qatar, adding the tenth race win to Rossi’s tally in 2005. Being one of Rossi’s favorite tracks he is the big favorite for success this year too, but like last year it won’t come easy. A year ago ‘The doctor’ had a race long battle with Sete Gibernau (Honda), winning the race by only 0.097 seconds. In a hard stopping moment Rossi almost ran off the track on lap one, giving Gibernau the chance to strike a gap. But by lap seven Rossi arrived at Gibernau’s back wheel and a terrific scrap saw both riders swapping the lead several times. Rossi, determined to be champion in true style, overtook Gibernau on the last lap just for a short moment, losing the lead again when he ran wide at Honda corner. The decisive move came when Rossi made a seemingly impossible and final pass on the inside going back into the entrance of Lukey Heights. He held on to take a magnificent victory by the smallest of margins. Not far behind the two race leaders Colin Edwards was having a great race too, fighting with Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros for the last podium spot. At the line Colin came 0.331 seconds short to finish the race in fourth position. Set-up report YZR-M1 Due to its fast flowing nature Phillip Island is a track most riders love to race on. It is one of the few circuits where they can unleash their manic 240+ horsepower machines. Contrary to some of the recent circuits where braking stability and front end feel is crucial, such as Motegi and Sepang, the fast and flowing nature of Phillip Island requires above all a good linear acceleration and turning stability. The key to a fast lap is a high-speed average, not just top-speed, carrying speed and momentum from one to the next long and high-speed sweeping corners is the key to success. ‘The Island’, as it is often referred to, offers a variety of cambers throughout its sweeping 4448m layout, both positive and negative, the rear suspension unit will need to be on the money so to speak. It will need to offer enough feedback and predictability, without pumping through its stroke as the rider tries to drive hard off the side of the tyre, or squatting as the weight transfers onto the rear. The latter will unload the front of the motorcycle, causing it to understeer and push wide – affecting exit speed and eventually lap times. On the other hand too stiff a rear shock will only lead to the front wheel rising while the rider powers off each of the slow and medium speed turns. It will also lead to the fast deterioration of the rear tyre and increase the likelihood of a highside crash. The rear shock must use a slightly soft spring rate, to aid feel, with a reasonable amount of preload to prevent rear-end squat. As for the damping, it will be dialed in to help balance out the package over some of the finer bumps, located in some of the high-speed corners. The front forks will mimic the rear set-up to ensure an overall balanced geometry. Too hard and the front will become vague in its feedback, and at these high speeds and lean angles this can be detrimental. Too soft and the basic feel will be too loose, not giving the rider the confidence he needs to carry the high speeds through the corners that is required to be competitive on the Island. The M1 engine will be mapped to reach a high top end performance, but not at the expense of a linear delivery. Acceleration off the side edge of the tyre is the key to a fast lap time, especially exiting the final fast turn where momentum can make the difference between winning and losing.

Chris Vermeulen debuts in MotoGP with Camel Honda team The whole of the MotoGP world is eagerly awaiting the debut of Chris Vermeulen, the Brisbane-born twenty-three year old who was recently confirmed as vice-champion in the World Superbike Championship. This Friday he will don Camel Honda colours and will take to the track at his home Grand Prix in Phillip Island, one of the most spectacular, technical and challenging circuits on the entire MotoGP calendar. It represents an exciting challenge for the talented young Australian, who on one hand will be having his first ride on board the Honda RC211V, but will be doing so at a track he knows every inch of, and which is a particular favourite. His new team-mate Alex Barros is also a fan of the Island circuit, where he has his own particular challenge, re-discovering a good feeling on the front end of his RC211V so he can battle for victory once more. Sito Pons Camel Honda “It’s a real shame that Troy hasn’t recovered in time for his home Grand Prix in Australia. We hope he is able to make a speedy recovery. In his place we have another Australian this weekend, Chris Vermeulen, who is a really quick rider but we mustn’t forget that it is his MotoGP debut. I think the fact that he knows the track so well will help him in his first experience on board the RC211V, and he can also rely upon an experienced team of expert technicians. We will also be trying our hardest to get the feeling back that Alex has missed in the last two or three races, and that should see him back on the pace.” Alex Barros #4: “Phillip Island is a track I really like, it’s one of the best on the calendar; it’s fast, technical, with super-fast corners where the front of the bike is worked really hard, and as such has to be set up perfectly. So I hope that, with Michelin’s help after a week of being able to analyse the problems we have had in the last few races, we can get back to finding a good set-up between the tyre-forks combination. Compared to Qatar and Malaysia, Phillip Island will be a lot cooler, so conditions will be very different. We’ll see, I hope to have a good race.” Chris Vermeulen #77: It’s especially exciting to be able to ride Honda’s RC211V at Phillip Island. It’s always good to ride at home because we only get one race there each year – nice to have friends and family there to support. Phillip Island is one of the best circuits in the world; it’s fast and flowing and that really suits my riding style. You get a great view of the ocean coming down the start-finish straight, but maybe I won’t get the chance to appreciate that so much on a factory Honda GP machine at something like 320kph! I’ve always struggled a bit on the two hairpins but that’s mostly because of the way I’ve had the bike set up. Because the rest of the circuit is so fast, there always has to be a bit of a compromise. Otherwise I love the place and Lukey Heights has to be one of my three favourite corners anywhere.

South African rider Hudson Kennaugh wrapped up the inaugural five-round Suzuki GSX-R European Cup with an emphatic win at Magny-Cours in France today. Starting from pole position, Kennaugh went off into the lead and was not headed for the rest of the race: His nearest rival in the Championship, Carmelo Morales – who started in second place – crashed on the second lap which allowed Kennaugh an easy route to victory. Said Kennaugh: “It really helped that I was also racing in the World Supersport event and then when I broke down in that race it gave me extra time to prepare for the ‘Cup’. I was also very angry after that breakdown which also helped! This has been a great series and I have enjoyed racing against all these guys. I want to say thank you to my team and also the GSX-R Cup organisers who have put on a really good show.” Top British rider on the day was 43-year-old Mike Edwards in eighth position, who also claimed the same position in the series despite missing his home round due to another riding commitment. He said: “I’m really pleased overall but I would have liked to have finished higher – it’s a shame I missed the Silverstone round. Today I had an altercation with another rider on the track which held me back. I’d love to do this series again; it’s been very well organised and it is a great opportunity for young riders – unlike me!” Second British rider home at Magny Cours was Rob Barber in 14th, who finished the series in 15th overall. He said: “I was a bit disappointed about being knocked off the track today on lap nine, which stopped me finishing higher in the race. I know I could have finished higher but I’m pleased with my lap times. This has been a great Championship and I’d like to thank Suzuki for the opportunity to ride in it.” Magnus Houston grabbed 15th position in the race and 17th overall in the series, despite carrying a wrist injury for the past two rounds. He said: “I got a really good flying start and made up five places before the first corner. It’s been a mega day for me and I felt better and stronger than I have for a long time. I had a great race all the way through with several riders. I’d really like to thank Suzuki GB, all the team and especially the British Team Manager Andy Parr for giving me this opportunity to race in the series.” Suzuki GSX-R Cup Results: 1 Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa), 2 Roman Stamm (Switzerland), 3 David Salon (Spain), 4 Xavier Simeon (Belgium), 5 David Fouloi (France), 6 Emerick Jonchiere (France), 7 Ismael Ortega (Spain), 8 Mike Edwards (GB), 9 Max Weymann (Germany), 10 Domenico Colucci (Italy), 11 Dominic Lammert (Germany), 12 Jarno Van Der Marel (Holland), 13 Rene Mahr (Austria), 14 Rob Barber (GB), 15 Magnus Houston (GB), 16 Gerard Jolivet (France), 17 Oliver Skatch (Germany), 18 Stephane Lacaze (France), 19 Marketa Janakova (Germany). Final Championship Points: 1 Kennaugh 103, 2 Salon 94, 3 Morales 83, 4 Fouloi 54, 5 Ortega 47, 6, Lammert 44, 7 Simeon 42, 8 Edwards 37, 9 Forster 30, 10 Skatch 28.

Season best for Haydon at finale RIZLA SUZUKI’S James Haydon scored his best result of the season with a podium third place at the 13th and final round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent today. After securing his maiden pole position, Haydon was on top form and determined to get on the podium and taste champagne in the opening event. His race-long fight with two other riders for third place eventually ended with his first visit to the podium in 2005 and enormous cheers from the fanatical crowd. In race two Haydon was in third place and the only rider able to follow the pace of the leaders when he crashed out on the exit to Druids. Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla and Leon Haslam shared a win each with Lavilla taking the Championship title in the process. James Buckingham, standing in for the injured John Reynolds for this round, crashed out of the opening event and finished an impressive 14th after starting from 22nd on the grid in the second race. JR remains in Darent Valley Hospital under observation for injuries he sustained during a crash in first practice on Friday. His doctors are happy with his progress and are working to transfer him to his home hospital in Nottingham early next week. Rizla Suzuki will be on display at the International Motorcycle Show at Birmingham’s NEC between October 28th- November 6th and is already planning its pre-season test campaign in a bid to challenge for the Championship in 2006. James Haydon: “I didn’t want my last race of the season to be a DNF but after scoring my first pole position in BSB and my first podium of the year in the opening race, I really went for it in the second outing. I was following Gregorio out of Druids when the rear end low-sided, which is a really weird way to crash. I’m not sure what happened, but am gutted as my bike felt good and I wanted another podium. “Race one was great and I had to soak up a lot of pressure to take third place. That result shows the true potential of the Rizla Suzuki. Thanks to everyone in the team for a cracking weekend and a great season – I can’t wait to buy my technicians a beer this evening, they have thoroughly deserved it!” James Buckingham: “In race one a rider high-sided in front of me on the third lap. I couldn’t avoid him and ended up crashing at Surtees, which was disappointing as I was already five-places ahead of my starting position. “Race two was much better and I had a proper battle for the points scoring positions, ending up 14th and more comfortable on the Rizla Suzuki than ever before. I have enjoyed this experience with the team as a stand-in for JR but my thoughts are with him now in hospital and I wish him a quick and complete recovery. I have won the Privateers Championship and tasted life with a Factory Superbike team this year and that can’t be bad!” Robert Wicks, Team Manager: “James Haydon rode fantastically to take a thrilling podium for Rizla Suzuki. His pace all weekend shows the strides forward that we have made with the performance of the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000. In race two he was the only rider that looked like he may have been able to compete with the Ducatis and that is encouraging. “James Buckingham put on an great performance in the second race to score points from a difficult 22nd place on the grid. He is a star of the future for sure. “This weekend shows we are moving in the right direction and we can go into our closed season testing regime with a strong base package that allows us to build for a title challenge in 2006. “According to his doctors JR had a good night in hospital and is in ever-improving spirits. Our thoughts are with him and getting him home to Nottingham as quickly as possible.” Race One Result: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 29:07.520, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.312, 3: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +7.390, 4: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +7.498, 5: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +7.795, 6: Michael Rutter (Honda) +11.848, 7: Gary Mason (Honda) +20.394, 8: Steve Plater (Honda) +23.404, 9: Jeremy McWilliams (Honda) +30.839, 10: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +35.126. Race Two Result: 1: Haslam 28:58.591, 2: Lavilla +1.980, 3: Plater +18.938, 4: Kiyonari +19.291, 5: Thomas +19.539, 6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +20.231, 7: Mason +20.385, 8: Rutter +26.386, 9: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +34.100, 10: Rea +39.445, 14: JAMES BUCKINGHAM (RIZLA SUZUKI) +46.689. Final Championship Standings:1: Lavilla 461, 2: Kiyonari 429, 3: Rutter 371, 4: Haslam 350, 5: Richards 241, 6: Thomas 198, 7: Karl Harris (Honda) 195, 8: Mason 174, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 139, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) 129, 11: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 126.

Report on Round Five of the Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship at Albacete, Spain, October 9 2005. Reus, Tarragona, Spain Noyes Seventh in Spanish FX Despite Broken Clutch American Kenny Noyes took his third consecutive seventh place in the Spanish National 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship on his Folch Yamaha R1, this time at Albacete in round five of the seven-round series. On this occasion, however, he and his team left Albacete certain that only a broken slipper clutch kept him out of the scrap at the front which was won by former 500/MotoGP rider Jose David de Gea (BQR Honda CBR1000RR) ahead of former Spanish Supersport champion, Javier del Amor (LaGlisse Yamaha R1) and former 250 GP rider and Spanish 250 Champion David Tomas (BQR Honda CBR1000RR), the three separated at the flag by only .3 of a second. Kenny had his best ever qualifying, taking sixth fastest time, and was especially confident on raceday after a change to front fork settings in the warm-up improved the Yamaha’s handling under hard braking. But at the start the slipper clutch failed with a bang, sending the former dirt tracker wheeling off the line. “I thought I had a real good start off the second row and then it broke and dumped all the power in at once. But it got worse in turn one when I had absolutely no engine braking. Coming out of the corners the clutch was slipping if I got on it real hard. The spooky part was that sometimes going into the corner free-wheeling the clutch would suddenly come back in, like I had hooked a gear. I had to pull in the clutch at the same time I got on the brakes in case it happened again. It was scary and I even thought of coming in on lap two, but I found a way to ride it. I had to change my lines and ride the front very hard into the corners. But I really learned a lot this weekend. This was the first time I could stay with De Gea, Tomas, Silva and del Amor and, thanks to the help we got from Michelin and Öhlins, we finally understand the traction problem that has been dogging us all year. We know what to do now to make the R1 even better,” said Kenny. “It’s funny,” said Noyes. “I was happy to finish seventh in Catalunya. I was disappointed to finish seventh in Jerez when I had a set-up problem but finishing seventh here was just awful. It felt like being last. I’m tired of seventh now.” Noyes is now 17 points back of Carmelo Morales who holds sixth in the Spanish Championship which is led by de Gea who holds a 19 points advantage over del Amor. The final two rounds of the Spanish Nationals take place at the GP circuits of Valencia and Jerez on the last two weekends of November. Results round 4 of Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship 1 Jose David de GEA. Wurth Honda BQR Honda 29:28.246 2 Javier del AMOR, T.Laglisse Yamaha 29:28.442 -0.1 3 David TOMAS,Wurth Honda BQR 29:28.573 -0.3 4 Ivan SILVA, T.Laglisse Yamaha 29:33.845 -5.5 5 Jospe MONGE, Promoracing Yamaha 29:35.010 -6.7 6 Jose Oriol FERNANDEZ, T.Merson Yamaha 29:46.793 -18.5 7 Kenny NOYES, Folch Yamaha 29:47.820 -19.5 8 David GOMEZ,Megabike Kawasaki 29:59 -30.7 9 Juan E. GOMEZ, RPM Expert Suzuki 30:04.345 -36.0 10 Roberto PANDILLA, Saltoki Kawasaki 30:04.465 -36.2 11 Bernat MARTINEZ, Folch Yamaha 30:13.766 -45.5 12 Salvador CABANA, Motorrad Suzuki 30:14.497 -46.2 13 Mario A CARAZO,. Hotelplus Yamaha 30:37.977 -1:09.7 14 Antonio SALOM, Motos Salom Yamaha 30:42.636 -1:14.3 15 Víctor J. CASAS, ZK Pontgrup Suzuki 30:53.574 -1:25.3 32 starters. 25 finishers, 3 riders lapped

World Superbike Race Two Results: 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 23 laps 2. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, -6.662 seconds 3. Norikyuki HAGA, Yamaha, -10.722 seconds 4. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, -13.457 seconds 5. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, -16.651 seconds 6. James TOSELAND, Ducati, -17.005 seconds 7. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, -20.863 seconds 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, -22.280 seconds 9. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -22.713 seconds 10. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, -31.108 seconds 11. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, -32.270 seconds 12. David CHECA, Yamaha, -38.195 seconds 13. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, -45.314 seconds 14. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, -46.922 seconds 15. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha, -50.604 seconds 16. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, -50.803 seconds 17. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, -51.434 seconds 18. Alessio VELINI, Ducati, -83.608 seconds 19. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha, -1 lap 20. Laurent BRIAN, Kawasaki, -1 lap 22. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, -5 laps, DNF. mechanical 23. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, -11 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, -17 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Andrew NOTMAN, Foggy Petronas, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, DNS 28. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, DNS 29. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, DNS More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: VERMEULEN MISSES OUT ON FRENCH DOUBLE Chris Vermeulen was denied his second winning double of the season at Magny-Cours today when the chain jumped off the rear sprocket of his Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. Having won the 23-lap opener of the final World Superbike championship round at the 4.4km French circuit, Vermeulen looked to be in control of race two, despite the close attentions of Italy’s Lorenzi Lanzi. On lap 19, however, Vermeulen cruised to a halt at the end of pit lane, realising that his 2005 World Superbike championship season was over. Lanzi went on to win the race from the Japanese pairing of Yukio Kagayama and Noriyuki Haga. The race was stopped on the first lap after Vermeulen’s team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, was involved in an incident with Andrew Pitt and three other riders. Muggeridge was unable to make the restart, suffering a laceration to the back of his neck that required stitches. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Chris’s sprocket was damaged with one tooth particularly bad. We need to make some further investigations but maybe some debris got in between the chain and the sprocket, which basically cost Chris the race and his second double of the season. With what happened to Chris, and Karl getting taken out at the start, it’s almost too much to take in for just one race, let alone the last one of the season. Obviously, we’re all disappointed that the year has ended this way but, hopefully in about a week and a half, we’ll be in a position to announce our 2006 rider line-up. Then we’ll start preparing for next year.” Chris Vermeulen – DNF “I’m not happy, that’s for sure. We’ve only had two DNFs this season and neither of them have been my fault. I knew there was a problem because it was jumping for a few laps before the end, especially when I was accelerating hard. I was just trying to slow the pace down as much as I could and would have settled for second or third, because there was quite a big gap behind Lanzi. It’s better if that sort of thing happens on the first lap because after you’ve put in all that hard work, it hurts a bit. Our season started badly and it’s just ended badly, too; but there have been a lot of high points in between and we’ve certainly shown lately that we’ve got the bike working a lot better. It’s good to hear that Karl’s OK, though.” World Superbike, Magny-Cours race two results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) 39m01.858s, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) +6.662s, 3 Noriyuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) +10.722, 4 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) +13.457, 5 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) +16.651, 6 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) +17.005, 7 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) +20.863, 8 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) +22.280, 9 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +22.713, 10 Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) +31.108 Final championship points: Corser 433, Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 379, Haga 271, Toseland 254, Kagayama 252, Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 221, Walker 160, Pitt 156, Lanzi 150, Chili 131. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI XEROX TEAM ENDS 2005 SEASON WITH PODIUM FOR TOSELAND – LACONI DID NOT START DUE TO ARM INJURY Magny-Cours (France), Sunday 9 October: The 2005 World Superbike Championship came to a close at Magny-Cours with a third place finish for James Toseland (Ducati Xerox Team) in the first race, which was won by Chris Vermeulen (Honda). Toseland had to fight hard to hold off the challenge from Karl Muggeridge (Honda) for the podium, and then finished sixth in the second race of the day after battling with 2005 world champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Chris Walker (Kawasaki). Team-mate Régis Laconi had a disappointing end to his 2005 season. After checking on his condition in the morning warm-up, the Frenchman was unable to take part in today’s races due to his arm injury, which was causing him considerable difficulty around the Magny-Cours track. The day was a memorable one for Ducati however as Lorenzo Lanzi sensationally took his second win of the season in race 2. Lanzi, riding a third Ducati 999F05 for the Ducati SC Caracchi team with additional Xerox branding, took the factory machine to its sixth win of the year in an all-Italian triumph. “That was a good hard fight I had with Karl but it was very fair” declared Toseland, “I’ve cleaned the blue paint of my fairing and he can clean the red off his! We were a little bit wide in places, he left half a gap but it was a very close race. I was riding for my pride out there and so I just gave it all I had. It was great and I’m just so pleased to get on the podium after all the difficulties we’ve had this weekend” “There was nothing that could be done today because there are just too many right hand curves on this track” declared Laconi. “I have very little strength in my right arm and it was impossible to do more than a couple of laps. I tried this morning and it was not possible to race. It’s tough for me because it’s the final round but it would have been too dangerous for myself and all the others if I had taken part in the race. I will need another month to get back to full fitness, hopefully I will be ready for the winter tests and obviously also for 2006. That’s life, this injury has ruined the end of my season, it’s a real pity”. Ducati Corse Superbike director Paolo Ciabatti added: “It has been a difficult season for Ducati and the opposition has been very tough this year. But we have shown that the Ducati 999F05 is still a winning machine and that it has won in the hands of all three riders who have raced it, James, Régis and Lorenzo, and we look forward to the 2006 season. A big thanks to all of our partners who have accompanied us this year, in particular title sponsor Xerox, with whom we are in the first year of our partnership, and technical sponsor Shell Advance for all of their support”. RACE 1: 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) ; 3. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) ; 4. Muggeridge (Honda) ; 5. Corser (Suzuki) ; 6. Pitt (Yamaha) ; etc. RACE 2 : 1. Lanzi (Ducati SC Caracchi) ; 2. Kagayama; 3. Haga (Yamaha); 4. Corser; 5. Walker (Kawasaki); 6. Toseland; etc. FINAL POINTS: Riders – 1. Corser (Suzuki) 433; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 379; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 271; 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 254; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki) 252; 6. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 221; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 468 ; 2. Honda 403 ; 3. Ducati 385; 4. Yamaha 322; 5. Kawasaki 183; 6. Petronas 48. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: ECSTASY AND AGONY FOR VERMEULEN ON LAST DAY OF SEASON A final day of high drama and shifting fortunes made for another delayed end to raceday in the Superbike class. Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) got the day off to a superb start with a transcendental win in front of the 56,0000 weekend strong sun-kissed fans, with a margin of victory of over eight seconds from second placed rider Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). It was his sixth race win of the 2005 season. His weekend ended in an unforeseen fashion, as his chain jumped the sprockets after the rear sprocket appeared to get damaged by a foreign object. Leading the race from Lanzi until he was forced out, he retired on lap 19. Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) equalled his season best of fourth in race one, then suffered a heavy fall on the race two start line, while Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) had the first of two eighth places in race one. His team-mate Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) took a DNF from race one, but a tenth place from the re-run second race. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) soaked up more points in each race, finishing 12th and 11th. In addition to taking the new outright track best in Superpole qualifying, with a 1’39.836, Vermeulen lapped under lap record pace in race one, with a 1’40.985 – a new race lap record until race two winner Lorenzo Lanzi improved it once again, to 1’40.601. In third place, James Toseland (Ducati) just held off Muggeridge for the final podium slot, after a final few laps of breathtakingly close contact between the two. In race two a five rider pile up, after Muggeridge and Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) collided shortly after the start, saw Muggeridge receive stitches to a head would caused when his bike landed on him, and two other riders, Giovanni Bussei (Kawasaki) and Steve Martin (Petronas) fail to make the restart. Vermeulen was delighted with his race one win, but mystified by his race two misfortune. His points total grew to a final 379, only 54 from champion Corser, despite two DNFs. “In race one it may have looked like it was a bit of a cruise but Yukio kept me honest,” said Vermeulen. “He was riding at 100% all the way to the flag. I’m not happy about race two, that’s for sure. We’ve only had two DNFs this season and neither of them has been my fault. It’s better if that sort of thing happens on the first lap because after you’ve put in all that hard work, it hurts a bit. Our season started badly and it’s just ended badly, too; but there have been a lot of high points in between and we’ve certainly shown lately that we’ve got the bike working a lot better.” Chili ended his inaugural Honda Superbike season in tenth place, once more spending raceday attempting to overcome chassis set-up issues for his particular riding style. “A very tough weekend,” said Chili in summation. “I felt the bike chattering and lost time in race one. Then I thought I had no chance to do better lap times so I retired. In the second race I tried to change everything – offset, spring on the rear, swingarm position – we tried to modify a lot. We needed to get rid of chatter and gain quick steering at the front.” Muggeridge, who was lucky to escape more severe injury than his cut head and bruised body, is only seven points behind Chili in the final table, on 124 points. After race one, Muggeridge was determined to score a podium in race two, after such a good showing. “I just braked a little too late into the hairpin on that final lap and ran maybe two meters wide, ” said Muggeridge of his race one experiences. “That allowed James through and I was just too late to do anything about it.” Neukirchner’s rookie season ended in another two secure points scores, as he once more ran with the leading groups of riders. “The first race was OK,” said Max of his Magny-Cours weekend. “I lost only ten seconds to the second placed rider, and the lap times and tyres were very good throughout. But in race two maybe because the track temperature went up the same tyres were not good for me. The last ten laps were very hard. I guess in the last few races I scored consistent points, so that was important for me.” In pain for the last few rounds, as he has struggled to throw off a back injury, Bostrom was glad to get Magny Cours over with, scoring nine points and finishing his year overall 15th, on 58 points. “I’m beat up again,” said Bostrom. “I need a few months off I think. The bike was quite good, but the clutch wouldn’t take two starts, so we couldn’t make a second good start in race two. I just let the clutch out and nothing. It was making so much noise I thought the fairing was dragging at one stage. I backed off and was almost coming in then the noise stopped. In the last five laps I lost a lot of grip from the front as well.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Yukio Kagayama raced to two second places at today’s 12th and final World Superbike Championship round at Magny Cours in France, lifting him to fifth in the overall series standings. The Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider’s team mate, World Champion Troy Corser, put in two heroic rides from the fourth row of the grid to claim fifth and fourth places. A broken chain was all that stood between Chris Vermeulen and two wins: The Australian Honda rider cruised to victory in race one and was fending off a hard-charging Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) in the second when his chain let go. Yukio Kagayama: “I had a good start to the season and a bad middle section which means that I am very happy to finish the season with two podiums. I enjoyed the second race very much dicing with Nori Haga. I am a crazy Japanese rider but I learnt my craziness from Haga-San. I want to thank my team for all the good work this season and hope next year will be even better.” Troy Corser: “Obviously I was always going to have my work cut out starting from 16th on the grid as it is very tricky to pass on this track unless you have a perfect set-up. I made a few mistakes in the first race which meant I was always trying to make up places again. I had a good start in the second race but then at the restart I got boxed in but had some great dicing along the way to fight my up to fourth. It’s not what I wanted but I feel I did as much as I could. I have to thank Yukio for all the good work he did, particularly in testing, and the whole team for making it a fantastic year.” World Superbike Results: Race 1:1 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda), 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Toseland (GB-Ducati), 4 Muggeridge (AUS-Honda), 5 Corser (AUS-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Pitt (AUS-Yamaha), 7 Walker (GB-Kawasaki), 8 Neukirchner (D-Honda), 9 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 10 Abe (J-Yamaha). Race 2: 1 Lanzi, 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha), 4 Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Walker, 6 Toseland, 7 Pitt, 8 Neukirchner, 9 Abe (J-Yamaha), 10 Chili (I-Honda). Final World Superbike Points: 1 Corser 433, 2 Vermeulen 379, 3 Haga 271, 4 Toseland 254, 5 Kagayama 252, 6 Laconi 221, 7 Walker 160, 8 Pitt 156, 9 Lanzi 150, 10 Chili 131. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi NEW TRIUMPH FOR LORENZO LANZI IN MAGNY COURS New fantastic all-Italian triumph for Lorenzo Lanzi in Superbike in the final race of 2005 WSBK Championship on Magny Cours. Lorenzo rode once more the 999F05 and the team has been integrated, as in Imola, with Ducati Corse engineers, and didn’t let the occasion, recording in three rounds two wins and a pole position and ending the championship standing in ninth position, bets of Italian riders. “I’m on the seventh heaven.” – said after the victory Lorenzo Lanzi. “This win makes me up for the Imola delusion. During race-1 I suffered a lot for the front tyre which vibrates heavily and didn’t allow me to ride; I had the tears under my helmet because I could see the others close to me and I wasn’t able to fight them. During race-2 I had a good start, both in the first start as in the restart after the red flag interruption. When I catched Vermeulen we started studying eachother looking at the final laps. Then he suddenly slowed at 18th lap and I was lonely leading the race. Of course looking that from sporting point of view that’s be a pity, but also I was confident to win to see a rival like Vermeulen out makes everything easier. I wish to dedicate this victory to everybody were close to me, to my sponsors which are above all good friends, to the Scuderia SC Caracchi, to my crew engineer, to Ducati Corse that gave me a splendid factory bike and a factory rider service. I don’t know at the moment my 2006 program, but I hope to remain in this ambience that gave me so much.” Less satisfied is Gianluca Nannelli that in Magny Cours ended in 9th position after an hard race. After a bad collision just after the start that throwed him in 14th position at the first split passage, Nannelli earned some position ending ati fight with Chambon in the final corners, but the expert French rider has been able to resist. “I was right yesterday to fight for the front row!” commented Gianluca Nannelli after the race. “I got quite a good start, but just at the first corner somebody hit me on the rear and I lot a lot of positions. The bike with full thank was not handling and the tyres do deteriorate quickly. I earned some position, but I’m not very satisfied for this result. This season in Supersport on the 749R has been fantastic and allowed me to work side by side to special people like Franco Farnè and the team’s guys, but for next season I hope to be once more in Superbike that is better for my riding style, and I wish myself to still remain with Ducati.” Stefano Caracchi too is very happy for this new win that follows just an week later the one of Imola. “It looks not to believe.” said Caracchi. “two victories in a row for a small private team like we are is a strong incentive to go on. I must say that if the Supersport victory was a total fruit of our team for Lanzi’s victory we must be grateful to Ducati Corse that put at our disposition the fantastic 999F05 and the engineer for those last events, further the rider lended for the season. Lorenzo has been fantastic, after some difficulties for the new class at the beginning of the season, fron Misano on started to collect always better results until the victory on Lausitz and now is ready for join a factory team.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: WSB : Haga ends R1’s debut season in third Round: 12 – France Circuit: MagnyCours Date: 9 October 2005 Crowd: 56000 Temp: 20ºC Weather: Sunny Yamaha Motor Italia star Noriyuki Haga ended his 2005 season on a high with a rostrum finish at Magny Cours today. The Japanese star finished third in race two to end the season third in the world championship standings in the Yamaha YZF-R1’s first season in the Superbike World Championship. Earlier in the day Haga missed the chance to increase his run of eight consecutive podium finishes when he crashed out of the opening race, an innocent victim of some frantic opening laps that saw him fall after colliding with another rider. Nitro Nori hit back in race two with a race-long thrilling battle with fellow Japanese Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). Kagayama got the better of the personal battle, but Haga’s third place gave him the points needed to secure his bronze medal championship finish. Team-mate Andrew Pitt had a tough race day after showing so much promise in practice. The Australian was involved in the battle for third place in race one, eventually finishing sixth, before being part of a huge five rider pile-up at the first turn of the second heat. With the accident causing the race to be stopped, Pitt was able to join the restart on his spare machine but was understandably detuned after the accident. Despite this, the Australian gave a typically gritty performance to work his way through to seventh place and retain his eighth place in the final championship table. Yamaha Motor France teamsters Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert had mixed fortunes at their team’s home race. Abe overcame a troubled qualifying session to take two top 10 finishes, although Gimbert was unable to replicate his impressive performances of 12 months ago and scored just one point for 15th in race one. Today’s races were won by Chris Vermeulen (Honda) and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati). Troy Corser (Suzuki) ended the year as world champion with Vermeulen second and Haga third. Magny Cours marked the end of Yamaha’s first season since returning to the Superbike World Championship. Before the season Yamaha set a target of using the opening part of the season for development, with the goal of achieving podium finishes and race wins in the second half of the season. With Haga at the controls, the YZF-R1 was able to take 10 podium finishes from 23 races, including two wins – at Brno and Brands Hatch. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The first race was disappointing, especially because the crash was not my fault and I lost my run of podiums. The second was fun and I enjoyed making big fighting with Yukio. Almost every lap we touched each other – I think both of us are crazy! I am happy to finish third in the championship in the R1’s first year in world superbikes. We have been strong in the second half of the season and we know what is needed to improve the bike so that it can be fighting for wins at every race next year.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “It was a big crash at the start of race two and I can say that we don’t think any bones are broken, but that’s about it. Muggeridge and I clashed – I got a good start and he got a bad start and we both drifted over to the right to get a better line for the first corner. The bikes were wheelying and then I felt him touch the back of my bike and then it felt like something touched my brake lever. For the first couple of laps I was in a bit of a daze and going backwards. My head was pounding and my hands were hurting but after a few laps I was able to focus and work my way through to seventh. I thought I could have got on the podium in the first one, but we just didn’t get there. ” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Andrew did incredibly well after such a big crash in the first start of race two. Fortunately he just took skin off his hands but I think that he did a good job in the circumstances. I am very happy that Noriyuki was able to finish third in our first year of the championship. We reached a target we set and I am satisfied – and proud of everybody involved. I would like to thank all of the team. We only started this project in October last year and everyone involved worked so hard to get us ready to race. These results are a reward for our hard work. Now we must look to next year. This will not be easy, but we know where we must improve and everyone is looking forward to the challenge.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “Yesterday everything went wrong and I could not ride smoothly. We had a lot of problems this weekend, but today everything went well, especially in the second race, the start went very well. We could do the same lap times as qualifying, so that was a good indication.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “In race one we scored a point but it was very difficult. We had many problems with the fork, the clutch and under braking, not a good weekend.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor France) “A bad end for us. Two times the clutch went on Sebastien’s bike. I think he was very nervous to get good starts at his home race, so maybe he burned the clutch. The more he tried the worse it got. Norick was not so bad. He followed Pitt and made a good race so it was a good race day for him.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: Troy bags a fifth and a fourth. Troy Corser concludes the season in style at Magny-Cours. He made a mockery of his fourth row grid place to take a fifth and a fourth. A broken chain was all that stood between Chris Vermeulen and two wins at the last round of the Championship at Magny-Cours. The Australian Honda rider cruised to an easy victory in race one and was fending off a hard-charging Caracchi Ducati’s Lorenzo Lanzi in the second when his chain let go with more than half the race run. Chris’s retirement then allowed Yukio Kagayama to add a second 2nd place to the one he secured in the first encounter, with Toseland and Noriyuki Haga gaining a 3rd each. TROY – Race 1: 5th Race 2: 4th Obviously I was always going to have my work cut out starting from 16th on the grid as it is very tricky to pass on this track unless you have a perfect set-up. I made a few mistakes in the first race which meant I was always trying to make up places again. I had a good start in the 2nd race but then at the restart I got boxed in but had some great dicing along the way to fight my up to 4th. It’s not what I wanted but I feel I did as much as I could. I have to thank Yukio for all the good work he did, particularly in testing, and the whole team for making it a fantastic year.

2005 World Supersport championship, round 12 Magny-Cours, France – Sunday, 9 October 2005 FUJIWARA BATTLES TO BRAVE SEVENTH Katsuaki Fujiwara finished seventh in today’s final World Supersport championship race at Magny-Cours in France. The Japanese rider broke his hand in a practice crash at Imola a week ago and, despite qualifying in fifth place, fought through the pain barrier to complete 23 gruelling laps of the 4.4km French circuit. He was rewarded by retaining third place in the overall series standings. His team-mate for the weekend, Dutchman Arie Vos, enjoyed an eventful debut for the Winston Ten Kate Honda team as he replaced injured world champion Sébastien Charpentier. The 29-year-old had fought his way up to sixth place by mid-race distance but slid off on lap 16. Refusing to let go of his Honda CBR600RR, Vos remounted to finish a creditable eleventh. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Well, the season didn’t finish on a high because of the situation with Sébastien and Kats struggling with injury, but there have definitely been some highlights this weekend. Kats managed to secure third place in the championship with his brave ride to seventh today. Arie’s substitute ride was great, apart from the small crash he had in the race. Before that, it was clear he was on for a top seven finish, which would have been a fantastic result for him. All our eyes are now focused on preparing for the 2006 season when we will be going all out for our fifth consecutive World Supersport title.” Katsuaki Fujiwara seventh “The race was very tiring and 23 laps on my hand was just a bit too much. I have had it in ice for most of the weekend when I have not been riding but trying to use the clutch with a broken finger is very painful. I tried my best and it was very important for me and the team to finish third in the championship. I am pleased about that and now I can go and pick up my FIM medal tonight. Thank you to the whole team for a fantastic season. Some more wins would have been nice but, for my first year on the Honda CBR, it’s not so bad.” Arie Vos eleventh “It’s just been an amazing experience and an honour for me to spend the weekend riding for the Winston Ten Kate Honda team. The whole set-up is so professional and well-organised and it’s been a privilege to be a part of it. Sébastien’s help was vital to help me learn the circuit and I was feeling quite comfortable until I lost the front. Luckily, it wasn’t too fast so I was able to pick up the bike and carry on. I’m sorry that happened because the team has been fantastic and it would have been great to bring the bike home in one piece for a better result.” World Supersport, Magny-Cours results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 40m12.350s, 2 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) +0.750s, 3 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) +1.215, 4 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) +4.098, 5 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) +21.623, 6 Johan Stigefelt SWE (Honda) +23.448, 7 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +30.108, 8 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) +32.144, 9 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) +32.408, 10 Mattieu Lagrive FRA (44.378, 11 Arie Vos NED (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +49.939. Final championship points: Sébastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 210, Curtain 187, Fujiwara 149, Foret 144, Fabrizio 38, Parkes 125, Chambon 94, Nannelli 88, Fores 71, Tauto Lauslehto FIN (Honda) 60. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Javi Fores finished the season with a hard-fought-for fifth at Magny-Cours today. The Spaniard made a good start, but Yamaha riders Parkes and Curtain together with the Honda duo of Fabrizio and Foret made a break early on and left Fores behind. Javi Fores – 5th: “I had a really good race after a good start, when I overtook Chambon. Halfway through the race I started having problems with my front tyre and had two big slides. From then on in, I decided to pace myself and get a good fifth place. I am very happy with the result and would like to thank my team who have worked so well for me.” Supersport Results: 1 Parkes (AUS-Yamaha), 2 Curtain (AUS-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 4 Foret (F-Honda), 5 Javi Fores (E-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Stigefelt (S-Honda), 7 Fujiwara (J-Honda), 8 Chambon (F-Honda), 9 Nannelli (I-Ducati), 10 Lagrive (F-Suzuki). Final Supersport Points: 1 Charpentier 210, 2 Curtain 187, 3 Fujiwara 149, 4 Foret 144, 5 Fabrizio 138, 6 Parkes 125, 7 Chambon 94, 8 Nannelli 88, 9 Fores (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 71, 10 Lauslehto 60. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: FABRIZIO TAKES PODIUM FINISH AFTER POLE TRIUMPH Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) may have been forced out of participation in the final race of the Supersport season due to injury but the on-track action throughout the 23-lap Magny Cours event was as fast and furious as ever. Pole position rider Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) took a new race lap record on his way to third place, one position ahead of his team-mate Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) as they chased home Broc Parkes and Kevin Curtain (Yamaha). Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) battled hard to finish the race in seventh position, overcoming a painful finger injury, which plagued him with greatest severity around the heavy braking sections of the 4.411km Magny Cours circuit. Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR stand-in rider Arie Vos finished 11th, despite a mid race fall. Tatu Lauslehto ended his season with a 12th place in the Magny Cours race, but with a tenth place in the championship fight overall. Honda’s final margin of victory in the manufacturer’s championship was an impressive 78, scoring a total of 270 points from a possible 300. For Fabrizio, Magny Cours was a great end to a hard championship season, in which he finished overall fifth, on 138 points. “I had a big battle with Kevin Curtain and Fabien and it would have been easier to fight for the win if I did not have to get involved in such a big fight,” said Fabrizio. “But it was a great race for the fans.” Fujiwara’s determination to overcome his hand injury and recent spate of misfortune meant he held onto third in the championship itself, five points clear of Foret, 149 to 144. ‘Kats’ won two races in his debut Honda season, at Qatar and Monza. “The race was very tiring and 23 laps with my sore hand was a bit too much,” said Fujiwara. “Trying to use the clutch with a broken finger is very painful. I tried my best and it was very important for me and the team to finish third in the championship. I am pleased about that and I can go and pick up my FIM medal tonight.” Foret gave his all as usual, with the impetus of the local crowd not quite enough to overcome his mid race fade in pace. His championship fourth place was backed up by the race win at Assen. “I tried very hard to get away with the leaders but it wasn’t possible,” said Foret. “I had a big fight with Curtain and Michel, but at half distance my tyres were going off. I had to slow down or risk a crash. It’s very frustrating because I knew I had to finish on the podium to have a chance to take third overall.” Vos kept hold of his machine as he fell at low speed, remounting immediately to charge close to a top ten finish. “I was feeling quite comfortable until I lost the front,” said Vos. “Luckily it wasn’t too fast, so I was able to pick up the bike and carry on. I’m sorry that happened because the team has been fantastic and it would have been great to bring the bike home and in one piece for a better result.” Lauslehto scored good points at another new track for him, and in finishing 12th in the race, he went tenth in the overall championship fight. He was not satisfied with his raceday, however. “I had a lot of problems with grip today,” said Lauslehto, “and therefore I could not make the push I wanted to get closer to the top ten in race conditions.”

World Superbike Race One Results: 1. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 23 laps, 39:03.405 2. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, -8.200 seconds 3. James TOSELAND, Ducati, -13.336 4. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, -13.887 5. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, -14.299 6. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, -15.270 7. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, -16.136 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, -16.616 9. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, -18.201 10. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -31.100 11. David CHECA, Yamaha, -34.310 12. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, -34.493 13. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, -38.601 14. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, -38.914 15. Sesbastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, -40.508 16. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, -50.824 17. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, -56.953 18. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, -58.385 19. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha, -1 lap 20. Andrew NOTMAN, Foggy Petronas, -10 laps, DNF, crash 21. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 23. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, -21 laps, DNF, crash 30. Regis LACONI, Ducati, DNS More, from a press release issued by Winston Honda: 2005 World Superbike championship, round 12 race one Magny-Cours, France – Sunday, 9 October 2005 WINSTON’S VERMEULEN WINS FRENCH OPENER Chris Vermeulen converted yesterday’s record-breaking qualifying performance into victory in race one of today’s final World Superbike championship round at Magny-Cours. The 23-year-old Winston Ten Kate Honda rider broke the lap record three times on his way to an eight-second victory over Yukio Kagayama. Vermeulen’s team-mate and fellow Australian, Karl Muggeridge, just missed out on his first podium of the season, finishing fourth to Britain’s James Toseland. Muggeridge fought his way back from eighth place on the first of 23-laps at the 4.4km Magny-Cours to take third on lap ten. But after some thrilling racing, Muggeridge ran wide at the Adelaide hairpin on the final lap, allowing Toseland through. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “That was a really outstanding race and, although Chris got into the lead early on and started to disappear, behind him it was fantastic. Chris was in unbeatable form and the scrap that Karl was involved with was all fair and square. It’s a shame he couldn’t climb up on the podium but we’ll certainly be looking for more in race two.” Chris Vermeulen – winner “If I can do that again in race two, I’ll be pretty happy; but, as ever, those other guys out there don’t make it easy. It may have looked like a bit of a cruise when I was out in front but Yukio (Kagayama) didn’t let up on the pressure at all so I was riding at 100% all the way to the flag. It’s nice to get the lap record to back up the Superpole lap yesterday, which was held in similar temperatures to what it’ll be like for race two; so we should have some information to go on.” Karl Muggeridge – fourth “I just braked a little too late into the hairpin on that final lap and ran maybe two meters wide. That allowed James through and it was just too late to do anything about it. It was an eventful race early on as well, as I took out a few of the cones with my fairing along the start finish straight. I may use that as a braking marker for race two! I’m not sure what we can do to make the bike better though, it was great. I enjoyed the race and hope I can enjoy race two a little more.” World Superbike, Magny-Cours race one results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 39m03.405s, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) +8.200s, 3 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) +13.336, 4 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +13.887, 5 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) +14.299, 6 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) +15.270, 7 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) +16.136, 8 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) +16.616, 9 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) +18.201, 10 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +31.100.