WSBK – Four French at the WSBK 2013 final –

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Four French at the 2013 WSBK final

WSBK - Four French at the WSBK 2013 final -

Unmissable event for the Moto GP, Jerez is only hosting the World Superbike for the second time in its history … and it’s this weekend! This last test 2013, which should crown Sykes, will be contested by four French pilots. Gazzzz !

The last two races of the 2013 World Superbike season will take place on Sunday in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain). Two weeks after his compatriot Sam Lowes in the Supersport category (read our), Tom Sykes should – logically – win his first world title….

The English Ninja indeed enjoys a lead of 37 and 38 points over his only two rivals in the championship: Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli! To make people forget his, the n ° 66 of the official Kawasaki team will have to climb on one of the two Spanish podiums.

However, since "Major Tom" regained the lead of the championship – -, he missed the boat only once in six races. One impressive statistic among others: "he completed 242 laps in the lead, almost half of the laps so far in 2013", emphasizes his team:"Tom has 16 podiums, eight Superpoles and 12 lap records". What else ?!

Of course, there is still the risk of an unfortunate fall or even injury. The readers of Site – who, as everyone knows, have a little more living memory than others – remember that a week before the opening of the season, Sykes had been the victim of a nasty antics which had prevented him from riding 100% during the two Australian races (read our).

But since then, the Sykes / ZX-10R couple has proved to be the strongest of this 2013 promotion. Tom’s careless fault (fall during the warm-up lap!) Or the Ninja’s engine failure should not be expected. breed in Jerez: after years of hard work the Greens are ripe for the title !

Guintoli: the final struggle

Fallen on the shoulder during a, Sylvain Guintoli knows what it is to run diminished … The "Frenchie" even almost made his situation worse by falling during the, while his teammate Eugene Laverty and he were beating like lions – by Noale – for second place…

"Medical examinations, following our battle with Eugene which ended on the tarmac, did not reveal any additional damage to the shoulder. This is the first good news !, indicates our famous n ° 50.

"The second good news is that Jerez is our test track and that I know it very well from my GP years.", outbid the official Aprilia rider. Thus, for the one who occupies the third place of the provisional classification,"the fight for the championship continues and I want to attack until the end".

So let’s hope that "Guinters" will be as incisive – even aggressive – as it was two weeks ago in France and that, this time, its efforts will be rewarded! Whatever happens, Sylvain can be proud of his season: even if he is less charismatic than Biaggi and less radiant than Laverty, Guintoli remains today a sure bet of the WSBK !

Loris Baz would also reach the status of "reference" in World Superbike when a heavy fall on his back during the warm-up at the Nurburgring left him out of service for many weeks (read our). Announced in Istanbul, hoped for for Magny-Cours, the return of n ° 76 will only take place this weekend.

"I had a CT scan earlier today (Monday, Editor’s note) and all was well. The specialist was very happy because the vertebra healed very well and very quickly", (r) assures the young French pilot."We’re just waiting for approval from the circuit’s medical team, but those in Barcelona and Geneva have all told me I can ride". Simple formality ?

"More than 5 days before getting back on my "green darling", more than 7 before facing the red lights", Loris warned on social networks before wondering:"more than 7 days before returning to the podium? Let’s try !"

Baz and Cluzel back on top ?

Our Bazooka is therefore ready to draw! "I will see how the first session on Friday goes. I would like to end the season strong, but you never know what to expect when you come back from injury", admits No. 76 of the Greens.

Confident despite everything, Loris believes he is able to fight close to the outposts, as he did before his injury. His goal this weekend is simple: "regain sixth place in the championship, which I lost after Magny Cours".

Jules Cluzel, the third French holder in WSBK this season, is also eager to get back on track. A track that he knows by heart, having ridden there between 2006 and 2011 on three types of Grand-Prix motorcycles: 125, 250 and Moto2.

"I have raced many times in Jerez and did a lot of testing there as it served as a test circuit for some of my old teams", recalls # 16."It was also the second place I rode the Suzuki Fixi Crescent in pre-season so I know how the bike works here.".

Author of a remarkable second half of the season, the 2012 Supersport vice-world champion had a tough test at Magny-Cours! Falling during the two French races, he scored only two small points. Fortunately, this did not compromise his Top10 in the world ranking.

"I really want to end the year in a good way and give my team a good result, because they really deserve it, they have worked so hard this season", recognizes the impressive" rookie "who will find at his side the English driver Leon Camier, removed from the circuits from Germany (seven fractures to the foot!).

Vincent Philippe, who had replaced Mister "Kamir" on the second GSX-R1000 on the Magny-Cours plateau, will therefore not have the chance to fight again against Elias, Haslam, Fabrizio or Badovini … Nevertheless, a fourth French driver will run this weekend !

Barrier "thanked" by BMW !

He is a champion, double champion even for ten days: Sylvain Barrier! Winner for the second consecutive year of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (read), his BMW Goldbet team has indeed decided to prepare an S1000RR in Superbike configuration, the same as those of Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies !

"In this way, we want to thank him for the great seasons and the titles he won with us.", explains the sporting director of the Italian team, Serafino Foti."We know that he will be able to take this opportunity to make himself known at Superbike level.".

Because unfortunately, "Sylv’1" can not hope to climb in SBK within his BMW team next year: promised to Melandri and Davies, the handlebars of the two S1000RR have been removed from the 2014 program, for obscure reasons of "strategic realignment"(read)…

However, Sylvain Barrier is not sulking his pleasure: "I still can’t believe I’m going to make my World Superbike debut! I have no pressure and I will take all my time to understand how the bike works, as I have no experience with the 2013 version of the RR Superbike and its tires.".

"I have no real goal for these races", affirms the n ° 20 who will celebrate his 25 years this Sunday in Jerez."This is the best gift I could receive from BMW for my birthday", concludes our" second "Sylvain. To follow this weekend live on MNC: stay tuned !

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