1.08.07 translated from Motociclisimo

PHILLIP ISLAND AUSTRALIA 8 January 2007 – Debuts and returns as riders resumed testing for start of the SBK championship 2008, with the second stage of development for Pirelli, the only SBK supplier  as the single tire regulation has been adopted.

This time on the circuit Max Biaggi was present for his debut with his Ducati 1098RS from the satellite team Sterilgarda GoEleven, which came from the fusion between GMB/Borciani brothers, which also manages the team, and the company Lonato (BS) GoEleven, who are promoters for the sponsors from Ruben Xaus’ livery (his Roman team mate).

Biaggi, who has never climbed aboard the new Ducati before this test, just concluded the session and returned to the paddock to explain his feelings about the ride: “It’s a motorcycle completely different from the Suzuki that I rode last season, today tried only to understand the sensitivity of the bike but I have to say that my first impression is really positive”.  His return to an Italian motorcycle has been 11 years after his victory in the 250 class with Aprilia.

The Roman was in 7th place with a time of 1’33”5, 1” away from the 1st position.  His placing is excusable however as he has only made his first contact with his Ducati during for this test because he was not able to test at the Jerez circuit in December because Ducati had not yet finished preparation of his1098RS.

The dominion of Phillip Island has always been a Ducati, ridden by Ducati’s boss, the Australian Troy Bayliss, who concluded his test with the best time of the day and for the 2008 season expects a victory here.  For Troy, now 39 years old, who was recently excluded from a title, winning here could represent a beautiful goodbye to his career.  Bayliss turned a time of 1’32”5 versus 1’33”5 for Biaggi, who didn’t have available to him the 2008 Pirelli Evoluzione tires, which are exclusively reserved for official riders.  Biaggi commented: “For the first time I will ride with a private team, it’s a new dimension for me, but also from this point of view it has been a promising day, the technicians on this team are really passionate and want to demonstrate that they know how to manage a rider at the top level.  My challenge is to try and win with a non official team.”

THE ENTIRE SESSION – Noriyuki Haga, on board an official Yamaha, confirmed the second best time of the day.  Fonsi Nieto had a slide in the afternoon, fortunately without consequences, while in the morning Michel Fabrizio on the new official Ducati team was flying off the track, without reporting back any problems.  With eyes of concentration on the Kawasaki PSG-1 for its official debut, with the new ZX-10R ridden by Règis Laconi and Makoto Tamada, that were both added to Team Sanmarinese for 2008.  Not present at this test was the Honda Ten Kate team, that was still busy preparing the CBR-RR for the 2008 Championship:  the first outing on the track is expected to be at the end of the month at the Spanish circuit Almeria.

TODAY’S CLASSIFICATION 1: 1. Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1’32”5 (66 giri); 2. Haga (Gia-Yamaha) 1’32”8 (95); 3. Kagayama (Gia-Suzuki) 1’32”9 (70); 4. Nieto (Spa-Suzuki) 1’33”2 (65); 5. Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1’33”4 (72); 6. Fabrizio (Ita-Ducati) 1’33”4 (77); 7. Biaggi (Ita-Ducati) 1’33”5 (69); 8. Xaus (Spa-Ducati) 1’33”5 (62); 9. Laconi (Fra-Kawasaki) 1’34”0 (70); 10. Neukirchner (Ger-Suzuki) 1’35”5 (85); 11. Tamada (Gia-Kawasaki) 1’35”8 (61).