WSBK – WSBK trials in Jerez: Baz at the aspiration of Sykes –

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WSBK trials in Jerez: Baz to the aspiration of Sykes

WSBK - WSBK trials in Jerez: Baz at the aspiration of Sykes -

Five teams from the 2014 World Superbike completed two test days in Jerez, marked by heavy rains and strong winds. In the end, Ninjas Sykes and Baz dodged the drops best.. Guintoli and Guarnoni rode well too.

The Kawasaki Racing Team, Aprilia Racing Team, Pata Honda World Superbike, MRS Kawasaki and Team Pedercini Kawasaki rode Wednesday and Thursday at the Jerez circuit where the saying goes "After rain the good weather"has been partly respected…

Two new Diablo Superbike Pro

For Pirelli, the Diablo Superbike Pro represents: "the meeting point between the world of competition and the sports biker who will participate in amateur competitions or who simply likes to ride on the track". Little brother of the Diablo Supercorsa SC used in Superbike, it benefits"a more flexible carcass, a compound of rubber capable of ensuring higher mileage and a structure developed in the dimensions most used on sports motorcycles".

Two models made their appearance in 2014. For the rear, the 200/55 R17 (replacing the 190/55 R17) is a twin compound whose central part (30% of the profile) must ensure better endurance and the maintenance of temperature, and whose sides (35% on each side, compound derived from SC2) would increase the grip on the angle.

In front, the 120/70 R17 is equipped with "new compounds and a more aggressive profile that improves handling and offers a larger ground contact surface, which provides more grip, stability and precision in curve trajectories".

The Andalusian track struggled to dry out completely, but Site readers – who, as everyone knows, are a little more fortunate than the others – will also note that "the" times (the lap times of the pilots listed in at the bottom of this page) were not particularly "beautiful"…

Thus, Tom Sykes only shot 1’42.1. Best time of this last test on European soil, this time is still 1.5 seconds from pole won by Eugene Laverty in October, and 2.5 seconds (!) From the unofficial record set by Sykes himself. end of November (read).

"In the end, we did a good job despite the wet and fickle weather", declared the No.66 Number One of the official Kawasaki team on Thursday evening. Already very satisfied with the progress made this winter, particularly in terms of the feeling of the front axle of his ZX-10R, Sykes believes he has found in Jerez"small but good finds".

Sykes always ahead

Author of his best lap on worn tires, the reigning world champion showed his usual wide smile while packing his bags, heading to Phillip Island: "We have two good days of testing just before the race weekend, during which we can complete our final work".

"We will be ready for the races", warns the alien" Major Tom "."The atmosphere and the mood in our team is very calm and we can’t wait to see how we can start the season". An impatience shared by his teammate – our compatriot! – Loris Baz…

The little big green man (as a reminder, the young Loris is over the meter ninety!) Is credited with the second best time of these private tests in Jerez, conceding to his leader only 2 tenths of a second. Attention: the Bazooka is fully loaded !

"We had some good lap times when the conditions improved a bit, but the track was really slippery overall"Says No. 76 Kawa – but" No. 8 "in World Superbike last year despite end of season marred by back injury…

Bazooka ready to draw

This winter "we have made progress on many details, especially on electronics"Loris recently testified on the official Worldsbk website, but"we also made good progress on the chassis".

In fact, from his time, the Savoyard Cheetah had felt that "we had taken a big step forward. Unfortunately we couldn’t confirm at that time because I got injured right after".

Once again in great shape, Loris Baz claims to feel "happy" and this "now plans on the opening of the season and the final tests in Australia. Everything is going well and I trust my bike". For Loris, the 2014 goal is clear: to fight for the title !

"I have to try to fight for the first places, get on the podium regularly and make as few mistakes as possible", he summed up last week, two days after having blown out his 21 candles on February 1st: happy birthday Loris !

"I think we can’t afford too many mistakes if we want to be in the company of top drivers at the end of the championshipAmong them should also be Marco Melandri, provided of course that he too manages to be consistent throughout the year…

Melandri falls back on her feet

However, the 2014 season almost started badly – even not at all! – for n ° 33, victim of a violent highside in the rain on Wednesday, while his factory RSV4 was tumbling at around 200 km / h … Fortunately, the Italian was not injured and he was was able to continue its test program.

"We tried a few electronics things in the wet and things were going well. But I made a stupid mistake and fell", humbly admits – but without going into details – the former MotoGP star.

The next day, Marco was able to "driving on a dry track but there were still quite a few traces of water and it was windyAccording to the Aprilia team, their new recruit would have completed 44 laps on the circuit over the two days and managed to turn in 1’42.308.

"I feel like I got run over by a truck this morning", the famous Ravenna hedgehog tweeted on Twitter on Friday, eager to reach the other side of the world."Hopefully we’ll take advantage of two sunny test days to perfect our setup before the first race."…

Rea better treated by his Honda

Fourth in the ranking of these last European tests, Jonathan Rea seems impatient to do battle: "little 65 was packed and we will see her again at Phillip Island! She was nicer to me during these tests !", posted JR on his Twitter account.

Embarrassed by the too wild behavior of his Fireblade, Johnny would he have managed to better configure the new electronics of his Honda? To find out, it will be necessary to wait for February 17 and 18, dates of the last official tests of the WSBK.

What we already know about Sylvain Guintoli, however, is that he did not lose too much of his speed during his long convalescence. Kept away from the circuits for more than 100 days, it took him two – not terrible, too! – to get back into the rhythm of the best !

According to Aprilia, "Guinters" would have covered the 4.423 km of the Andalusian track in 1’42.605. But the most encouraging is undoubtedly the fact that his shoulder allowed him to complete 68 laps and perfectly withstood a fall at low speed at the end of the second day..

"I am quite satisfied even though my shoulder is now very tired", readily admits n ° 50 before joking:"I even fell on my right flank, so I guess I can consider the trials complete! Fingers crossed, but there shouldn’t be any big problems"

Guintoli and Guarnoni, the good spirit

"I am very relieved because before coming here I was worried … To be honest, I was not even sure of my ability to ride after almost four months without a motorcycle, but now I know that I am ready for the Australia", Sylvain concludes.

A third French driver was present during these tests: Jeremy Guarnoni! Entered this year in the WSBK Evo category within "his" MRS team, the winner of the Superstock 600 cup in 2010 has set a very impressive time..

A small second slower than Guintoli and his factory Aprilia, the private Kawasaki rider climbs first in the "Evo" and even leads – by two tenths – Leon Haslam on his honorable Honda CBR1000RR registered in the "real" Superbike class.

Direct witness of the small fall of Guintoli, "Jey" did not hesitate to tease his elder on "touitteur": "superb loss of forward Mister Sylvain Guintoli! You OK? 🙂"… The answer was not long in coming:"Ah, it was you! Beautiful Jerem style. It was just to put on the show !". You said relaxed and nice, our pilots ?

Two other Kawasaki Evos complete the timesheet: the one prepared by the official Kawasaki team driven by David Salom, then that of the Pedercini team ridden by Alessandro Andreozzi.

All these little people are now leaving for Phillip Island, where the rest of the 2014 field will join him for the official WSBK tests, final preparations before the first two races of the season on Sunday 23 February … and transcribed almost live on the Site. To be continued: stay connected !

Chronos of the WSBK tests in Jerez

  1. Tom Sykes – Kawasaki: 1’42.1

  2. Loris Baz – Kawasaki: 1’42.3

  3. Marco Melandri – Aprilia: 1’42.3

  4. Jonathan Rea – Honda: 1’42.4

  5. Sylvain Guintoli – Aprilia: 1’42.6

  6. Jeremy Guarnoni – Kawasaki Evo: 1’43.5

  7. Leon Haslam – Honda: 1’43.7

  8. David Salom – Kawasaki Evo: 1’44.1

  9. Alessandro Andreozzi – Kawasaki Evo: 1’44.5

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