WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Phillip Island – Analysis of the World Superbike in Phillip Island

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Phillip Island SBK Videos, Statements and Analysis

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Phillip Island - Analysis of the World Superbike in Phillip Island

The first round of the World SBK 2012 took place yesterday at Phillip Island. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the SBK riders, our analyzes and the video summaries of the Superbike and Supersport races..

Analysis of the World Superbike at Phillip Island

The 2012 World Superbike season has only just started, but Site is already keen to award "prizes" to the riders who put on a superb show for the Australians, and have worthily rewarded the European very early risers. !

After all it is in season … If France is delighted with the five Oscars amassed last night in Los Angeles by Jean Dujardin and the film The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius, Italy for its part applauds the performance delivered by Max Biaggi and his official Aprilia yesterday morning at Phillip Island !

Hot time

"On Saturday, temperatures were 36-37 ° C in the air, causing the track to climb to 62 ° C !", tells us Giorgio Barbier, Director of the Moto Pirelli Competition."The tires, which typically operate around 115-120 ° C on most circuits, reached temperatures of 140-150 ° C in the first race of the World Superbike season. Taking this into account, these competition conditions had to be fulfilled perfectly, and we are happy with the way the weekend went.The tires used in Supersport were much less convincing: the 600 race was even limited to 15 laps instead of the 21 originally planned. !

The victory of the 2010 Champion of the discipline in the first round was clear and flawless: by establishing the new lap record in the race in the 4th lap – the old Corser on Yamaha dated from 2007! -, Max put enormous pressure on the shoulders of Carlos Checa placed just in front of him…

The Grand Prix for Biaggi

So much so that the n ° 7 – but "numero uno" of the year 2011 as a reminder – flew off three minutes later by opening a little too early and a little too hard the throttle of his Ducati 1198 in the big left commanding the straight line of the circuit in which Aprilia clearly had the ascendant…

Because in the Corsair’s feats of arms this weekend is also the best recorded top speed: 324.6 km / h at the Ducati’s aspiration in the 5th lap, one lap before the "drama" therefore. Once the track "cleared", Biaggi was not satisfied with a simple delivery until victory….

Thus Aprilia n ° 3 tumbled in the straight line constantly at 319 km / h, while Checa peaked at – well – less than 310 km / h on the way to his victory in the second round, or that Marco Melandri Himself did not rarely exceeded 316 km / h.

It was nevertheless his incredible comeback in the second round that unquestionably earned Biaggi the "Grand Prix" from the Site jury! The often feverish, sometimes disrespectful Max of 2011 (of the rules and towards Melandri!) Is no longer: that of 2012 fights like a lion – of Noale of course – on the handlebars of his motorcycle in the format of 250 cc of GP but at the power of MotoGP !

The speeding RSV4 ?

The 2010 Champion therefore seems to be back and his 45 points allow him to take pride of place at the top of the provisional classification. But beware, because the old demons and Max’s opponents are never far away.

Thus Checa responded very well in the second round. Regarding Carlos, however, we will remember above all his masterful highside in the first round. His glide at 180 km / h – fortunately without consequence – allows him to win the category "best stunt" hands down, feet, buttocks and all the rest. !

For his part, the manager of Team Ducati Althea further retains the fabulous pres (tidigi) tation of Biaggi and his RSV4: "I was disappointed to see that pilots (only one in fact, Editor’s note!) can start from the last position and finish second, when others (Ducati riders, Editor’s note) are penalized by an excess of six kilograms".

"It will be difficult to overcome this difficulty this season, even with a driver, a champion, of the caliber of Carlos", concludes the Italian … Biaggi – and Laverty when he will have recovered from his fall during the winter tests – will they too easily crush the competition in the next races ?

The Oscar for the best "comeback" – not in the race, but of course on "Ile de Philippe" – goes to our national star Sylvain Guintoli. Because the return of the French n ° 50 to Phillip Island was far from obvious: his misadventure of 2011 had heavily marked his start to the season.

"Remember last year"

"Sylvain had a fantastic first race", notes its chief mechanic Luca Ferraccioli,"getting on the podium after a neck and neck battle against Tom Sykes and then Marco Melandri was the best way to approach the new season, especially after the bad fall he had last year".

Going to garden in the second round and forced to retire after having spread his Ducati too brutally on the ground, Guintoli nevertheless left Australia in good spirits! The Frenchie is incidentally credited with 16 points, synonymous with 6th place in the general classification. Good Job Syl ‘ !

The little guy from home, Maxime Berger, is logically awarded the Cesar for "best hope". Indeed, the n ° 121 did not disappoint his new team – Effenbert Liberty, the same on Guintoli and Smrz – by equaling from his second outing his best result of last season !

We gladly forgive him his blunder in the first round: blocked by Jonathan Rea, our national "Mad Max" wasted by forcing in a braking. Pointed to the 20th position at the start of the 12th lap, the guy managed to climb to 13th place, finishing two seconds from the Top 10 and in the aspi ‘of Leon Haslam.

A Leon Haslam who does not demerit either, since last Thursday – the day before the first test sessions! – the n ° 91 had two screws fixed at the bottom of the tibia: the photo "tweeted" on his Twitter account speaks for itself !

English patient and English patient

Just operated and already operational, the "Pocket Rocket" of the official BMW team even allowed himself to beat his swift team-mate Marco Melandri in the second round, obtaining an encouraging 5th place. Last year Leon frequently reached the Top 5 in top form on his old S1000RR. How will it be this year, riding the new BMW? ?

For his part, Tom Sykes played more of the patient Englishman, a role in which he was long awaited, that of a thoughtful pilot! Admittedly, before Sunday the Ninja n ° 66 had proved his extreme speed around the Australian track, but on only one lap…

Likewise, last year Tom demonstrated that the Kawasaki was well born by signing a Superpole at Misano and a victory at the Nurburgring on his handlebars, but in the wet … He had to confirm over the whole of a race. in good weather: it’s now done !

Sykes is the first to recognize it: to climb on the podium in the second round, he used his brains as much as his right wrist! The feat is not limited to this: "Tom gave Kawasaki its first dry podium since Fonsi Nieto’s third place at Magny-Cours in 2007", underlines the entourage of the pilot.

With his 4th place obtained in the first round, Tom Sykes collected 29 points and took third place in the provisional ahead of Carlos Checa (25 pts) and Jonathan Rea (22). In front of the English Green is Biaggi of course (1st with 45 pts), but also a certain Marco Melandri (2nd with 30 pts)…

The Oscar for best supporting role therefore goes to the famous n ° 33. Far from being satisfied with the second plan, Marco appears without a shadow of a doubt among the great animators of the weekend (as well as one of the pilots most affected by the death of young Oscar McIntyre, the bouquet in the photo is his …).

During winter testing, however, the Italian openly complained of a lack of feeling and confidence in the front end of his brand new mount. Listening to him, his fans had to prepare for a shy start to the season.

Finally, the transalpine pilot actor brilliantly succeeded in his baptism of fire. From his first outing, Marco was quick to record the best result in the Munich bombshell. Another proof of the efficiency of the WSBK (and MotoGP!) Vice-champion … and the first concerning the 2012 evolution of the BMW? Business to follow in a month in Imola … Stay connected !

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