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09 July 2010
Brno – Practice Day 1
Brno, 9th July 2010 – The first sessions of the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship got under way today at the Czech circuit of Brno. Included in the line up were the two Althea Racing riders, on board the Italian team’s Ducati 1198 machines.
In the afternoon’s qualifying session, Carlos Checa stopped the clock on 2m00.153 which awarded him with provisional fourth position. A great result obtained in spite of a crash towards the middle of the session. “I lost the front, probably going over a pothole, and I couldn’t keep from falling”, said the Spanish rider, third in the overall standings. “It was a pity because I’d built up a good rhythm. When I went back on track, with the second bike and new tyres, I immediately built up good pace again. We’ve worked hard on the fork and on the general rideability, and have found a great set-up. This is the first time that I’m riding a Ducati here and I must say that, for day one, I’m pretty satisfied.”
Team-mate Shane Byrne closed the session just three tenths of a second from Carlos. Riding for the team captained by Genesio Bevilacqua, the English rider gritted his teeth, despite having suffered a deep cut to his left hand during the recent Imola tests, and managed to score a promising thirteenth position with a best time of 2m00.534. “I’m not 100% but I was still able to set a time just three tenths from those on the front row”, said “Shakey”. “We have a good general set-up but we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow, in order to make the most of the different things we’ve tried today. I want to find the best possible feeling to heighten my chances of running a good race. My hand? It’s not so much the pain that’s bothering me but more the sensation of not having full control.”
Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing was also satisfied, declaring, “With Carlos we made a short race simulation, with great results. We tried many components, concentrating on finding the right set-up and tomorrow morning we’ll concentrate on times. For Shane, on the other hand, this is a test of bravery. His hand is not in perfect condition but he’s a fighter and we will try to take as many points as possible with a view to the overall standings.”
Tomorrow, after the second qualifying session (10:45), Superpole will begin at 15:00. On Sunday, race 1 starts at 12:00 while the second of the day’s races gets underway at 15:30.
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