WSBK – Statements and analysis of Superbike at Magny-Cours – Statements of Superbike riders in France

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Statements and analysis of the Superbike at Magny-Cours

WSBK - Statements and analysis of Superbike at Magny-Cours - Statements of Superbike riders in France

The thirteenth round of the World SBK 2013 took place this weekend in Magny-Cours, France. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the Superbike riders as well as the Website analysis of the two French races.

Statements by Superbike riders in France

Site readers – who, as everyone knows, are a little more fortunate than the others – were already able to experience yesterday, almost live, the unfolding of the Mondial Superbike and Supersport races on the Magny-Cours circuit (for latecomers, read then).

Here are the statements of the pilots who distinguished themselves on Sunday … Honors to the double winner !

Tom Sykes, 1st (x 2):
"It’s great to do the double here. We made two small changes to the bike for the second round: we always aim for perfection. We spend our life here. When you constantly play with the limits, the smallest changes have a gigantic impact. The bike was very fun to ride today and the races went very well. When the track and conditions are right for a bike and its rider, you need to make the most of it. Magny-Cours was generous to me, the bike and all of Kawasaki, so it was great. He was spitting at the end of the second race and it was difficult to deal with, even though I had a big lead and didn’t have a lot of pressure. I was slipping a lot from the back. We still have some work to do, but the good point is that we have almost always responded this season.".

Sylvain Guintoli, 2nd then 3rd:
"The second race was exciting, a big battle with Eugene. It’s a shame we couldn’t keep up with Tom, but he was really, really fast today. I hope I didn’t do too much damage to my shoulder in the fall. My visor was unfortunately covered in bugs and I couldn’t see the slippery portions of the trail. In the first run, I was able to follow without losing too much ground. I tried to unpin on the last laps and pass Tom, but the red flag came out. It is true that it will be difficult to pick up again in Jerez, but mathematically we are still in the race, so I will do everything to conclude this championship correctly.".

Eugene Laverty, 3rd then 2nd:
"Tom was disembarking from another planet today. I tried to stay with him for the first few laps, but he was coming out too hard from the slow corners. Towards the end, Sylvain and I got into a battle. Usually I don’t like those situations too much because I have a lot of respect for him and we’re both aiming for the title, but every point is important at this point in the season. I’m obviously happy with both my results, although our aim was to close the gap on the leader. We made some improvements to the bike between the first and the second race: I was significantly faster, apparently not yet enough. Jerez will be our last chance to play the drivers’ championship".

Davide Giugliano, 4th (x 2):
"We didn’t reach the podium, but the weekend was still satisfying as we mingled with the men fighting for the title. We have had a positive end to a season and our two results today confirm it, since we were still first private. My team and I managed to hang on to the factory bikes. It was not easy: I struggled during both races as the leaders regularly turned at a high pace. On the last lap of the second race, I noticed that some sections of the track were wet so I was very careful not to make any mistakes. We are now heading towards Jerez, the track where I rode for the first time on the Aprilia, boosted by the excellent results today".

Chaz Davies, fall then 5th:
"My fall in the first run was strange: I was not on the brakes but I felt the front start slightly, without being able to recover it. I slid for centuries and tried to catch up while grabbing the bike but there was nothing I could do. I raised the bike, but there was a lot of dirt on the throttle, to continue was too dangerous. Considering we missed the twenty-three laps of the first race which would have provided us with some valuable data, the bike was not so bad during the first laps of the second race. But later I started to struggle when the tire wore out and the bike got a little more sinewy from the rear. When the overall grip level dropped I started pushing forward again and couldn’t turn the way I wanted. In the end, the lack of driving in the first race maybe cost us, but that’s no excuse: we weren’t fast enough and didn’t find the right setting.".

Marco Melandri, 5th then 7th:
"In the first run, I was struggling with the settings and I was not very fast, so the result shows the potential I had. Before the second race we decided to take a step back and adjust the bike so that I was more consistent. Without this problem (excursion off the track in the 6th lap, NDRL), I could have been on the podium. At least I can say I had more fun in the second run than in the first. I was fast and passed many drivers to climb up the standings. Finally, I want to thank my team who did a great job throughout the weekend. The next race is in Jerez, our test track, we know it perfectly so we will start with a good setup and should have a good chance of getting on the podium.".

Vincent Philippe, 13th then 6th:
"What a weekend! I must obviously start by thanking all the staff of the team and especially the mechanics. Everyone helped me a lot to better understand the bike, the suspensions, the electronics and the tires: everything. The bike is fantastic, the team is fantastic too, so I easily grasped everything and felt good on the bike. I attacked in the second race – not too much – and I’m so happy with the result".

"In the first race, the fight was really great, I fought against the best drivers and what happened is a real shame, but it’s the race (Vincent could not avoid Tonia Elias’ Aprilia, which fell right in front of him, Editor’s note). The second round went better for me because I’m not used to fighting like this, I would need more experience. By driving alone, I could drive as I wanted. This weekend has been good, it was a very good experience. I would like to drive the Suzuki Fixi Crescent again, but if I don’t, that’s fine: it was already a great gift from the team and from Suzuki France. Thank you everybody !"

Michele Pirro, 6th then crash:
"We were unlucky today and my physical condition after yesterday’s crash surely didn’t help. My back was very sore after the first race and I had to take pain medication for the second race, which ended badly. We would have needed a dry practice session to better prepare for today’s "dry" races. Anyway, considering that everything was new for me this weekend, and given the difficult weather conditions, I can say that I learned a lot, although I hoped to do better in the race. I hope I have another chance to race, because with more time and experience I think I can do better".

Michel Fabrizio, 7th then retirement:
"There were a few bright spots this weekend. I was able to understand a little better the characteristics of the engine brake of the CBR. I was happy with my second row in qualifying yesterday and the first race was not that bad, although I find the bike hard to turn when the grip level drops. The second race was disappointing, but we don’t yet know what stopped the bike".

Jules Cluzel, fall then 14th:
"It was my worst weekend of the year. The conditions were horrible for me and I think we need some dry riding to improve the bike as I struggle so much in the slow corners at the end of the race. We only had one real dry session over the weekend and that made it difficult for me. I fell in the first race because of a mistake: I was going too fast, I tried to turn and then I went straight. In the second run, I was wasting time on a few stretches and tried to hang on, but I fell again and I had to catch it all. I think it was possible to finish sixth or seventh, but I lost the front and it was over".

Vincent had a good weekend, he knows the track really well in these conditions and he did a great job in the dry as well. It’s good for the team to get a good result, but I knew I could do better personally, it disappoints me. I want to thank Suzuki France for all the support they gave us this weekend, it was great to have them here ".

And now for our MNC analysis of the Mondial Superbike at Magny-Cours !

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