What do you mean Felix?

A seemingly complete lack preparations for a start, followed by lots of "teething" problems. Not reminiscent of their effort in 2004.

Did they just underestimate the amount of work needed to turn the Blade into a race bike? MonsterMob seem to have done it. I suppose last year, they simply took the well developed 999RS, which they could just get on and ride.

I think part of the problem was signing the deal with Honda and actually getting a bike, this took an age from my understanding and they only had 1 race bike for Qatar which promptly got destroyed in practice, Bostrom had to ride a road bike in the race.

I think Mark saw the huge costs for running 4 999RS04's last year (2 per rider) and decided to cut back, the problem being with Ducati, Renegade had effectively become a satellite team similar to GSE, now he/they are pretty much on their own with limited budget and no time on the bike and as there are quite a few Blades this year I can't imagine they'll be too high up the pecking order for parts/support yet.

At least with a Ducati you know you've got a pretty good package, costly yes, but pretty damn good from day one.

RECORD TOP SPEED OF 316 KM/H FOR DUCATI XEROX RIDERS AT PHILLIP
ISLAND: LACONI THIRD AS TOSELAND FOCUSES ON RACE SET-UP

Phillip Island (Australia), Friday 1 April: Régis Laconi turned in the
third quickest time in today's opening qualifying session for the second
round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island as his team-mate
James Toseland concentrated on gaining a good set-up for Sunday's two races.
Both Ducati Xerox Team riders showed blistering speed on their factory 999
machines today, Laconi establishing an outright WSBK championship record of
316 km/h around the spectacular 4.4 km island track in the morning, a top
speed that was equalled later in the day by Toseland.

Despite running a fever throughout the day, the 29 year-old
Frenchman's time of 1m34.084s put him on the provisional front row of the
grid behind the two Suzukis of Aussie Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama from
Japan but a fraction in front of a clutch of five more Australian riders on
their home circuit.

"I am quite pleased with what we did today, we got through a lot of
work" declared Laconi. "I did a lot of laps but I have no more strength left
in me because I've had a high temperature since this morning. Nothing to
worry about however because I don't feel sick. Our 999 bikes are going
really quick here but we know that in top speed we are second to no one.
Still a few more things to do to get the bike the way I like it but I'm sure
we'll make further progress tomorrow. At the end I put on a qualifying tyre,
just to be on the safe side because you never know what the weather will be
like tomorrow. We didn't come testing here this winter and the bike is very
different from last year's so we virtually have to start from scratch. I
really love this track, I might not be Australian but let's just pretend
that I am, OK?".

Toseland was the only top rider not to fit a qualifying tyre at the
end of the session and ended up fifteenth quickest, but the reigning
champion was not too concerned, having preferred to focus on his set-up for
Sunday's two races.

"It looks worse than it is because on race tyres we are in the top 3!"
he joked. "We haven't used a qualifier, everyone else in front of me did so
I'm feeling pretty good. I just stayed out there on a race tyre and put the
work in. Around here you've got to know what the bike is going to do
underneath you, and I remember from previous years that qualifying is one
thing but the last six laps are another. I've worked hard today, I put a lot
of laps together and my consistency is really good so I am happy. Ignore the
timesheet, we can put a qualifier in at any time tomorrow and beat those
times. I'm feeling good, every time I cross the line, I'm pleasantly
surprised with the times I'm doing".

TIMES: 1. Corser (Suzuki) 1m33.191s; 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m33.787s;
3. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.084; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 1m34.094s; 5. Muggeridge
(Honda) 1m34.364s; 6. Vermeulen (Honda) 1m34.405s; 7. McCoy (Petronas)
1m34.491s; 8. Martin (Petronas) 1m34.499s ... 15. Toseland (Ducati Xerox)
1m35.344s.

Results after Superpole.

So a Foggy Petronas 2nd on the grid then :o

Our Jamie down in 10th:(

what times it on tomorrow and what channel this year

[Edited on 2-4-2005 by deej]

LACONI AND TOSELAND ON ROWS 2 AND 3 FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM AS SUPERPOLE
PACE HOTS UP - LACONI IMPROVES ON TOP SPEED RECORD WITH 318 KM/H!

Phillip Island (Australia), Saturday 2 April: Régis Laconi and James
Toseland (Ducati Xerox Team) will start tomorrow's Australian Round of the
World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island from rows 2 and 3 of the grid
respectively as a highly-competitive Superpole qualifying session produced a
few surprises.

Neither the Frenchman, seventh after the two qualifying sessions, nor
his British team-mate, five places lower, were able to make much of a surge
up the grid in the one-lap dash despite both shaving vital tenths from their
times and they ended up eighth and tenth. Both riders are confident with
their race set-up however and are convinced that the two 22-lap races will
see a different outcome.

"I didn't do a good lap in Superpole, it wasn't that bad because we
got under the 1m34s mark but we were missing a bit everywhere" declared
Laconi. "I'm on row 2 and I absolutely have to get a good start otherwise
the others will get away. We are all more or less there, no one rider has
that much of an advantage. Superpole is becoming more competitive race after
race, it's only a question of tenths, but remember that's only in
qualifying, the race is another thing".

After setting the top speed record of 316 km/h yesterday, Laconi went
even quicker today, ending up at 318 km/h, an extraordinary performance from
the twin-cylinder Testastretta-engine Ducati 999 that was achieved with the
contribution of the special fuels and lubricants developed for the Factory
'05 machine by technical partner Shell. "Yesterday we were already quick at
316 km/h and today we went even faster. If we go any quicker tomorrow, at
this rate we'll be approaching the speed of the MotoGP bikes!" added Laconi.

Toseland was clearly disappointed with his row 3 starting position,
but is confident that his good race set-up will enable him to be up at the
front tomorrow. "I don't know what happened there with everyone in the 33s,
I thought my 34 flat in the free practice would have put me second or third
and I'm tenth on the grid" he declared. "I'm not happy, I really stuck my
neck out even to do a 34 flat so we've got a bit more work to do on the
bike. It's going to be difficult from the third row of the grid, but we've
been very consistent on race tyres and hopefully we can get into the low 34s
to be there or thereabouts, but the main problem is if the leaders get away.
It's going to be a real endurance test tomorrow, the tyres will be a problem
after half distance and whoever keeps it together will bring it home. It's
going to come round to grip in the end and who's got the best race set-up
and that's what I've been concentrating on all weekend".

TIMES: 1. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m33.241s; 2. Martin (Petronas) 1m33.301s;
3. Neukirchner (Honda) 1m33.375s; 4. Corser (Suzuki) 1m33.398s; 5. Pitt
(Yamaha) 1m33.461s; 6. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m33.557s; 7. McCoy (Petronas)
1m33.676s; 8. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m33.837s; 9. Vermeulen (Honda)
1m34.053s; 10. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.068s; etc.

TV COVERAGE: British Eurosport (UK): Saturday 2 April, 1500 BST
Superpole (delayed); Sunday 3 April, 0300 BST race 1 (live), 0630 BST race 2
(live); Monday 4 April, 0830 and 2000 BST all races (repeat). Eurosport
(Europe): Saturday 2 April, 1300 CET Superpole (delayed); Sunday 3 April,
0400 CET race 1 (live), 0730 race 2 (live). La7 (Italy): Saturday 2 April,
1700 CET Superpole (delayed); Sunday 3 April, 1620-1900 CET races 1 & 2
(delayed).

Shame I can't quite get the same ' feeling ' with the lottery numbers:(

[Edited on 3-4-2005 by dave w]

Not much said about this....





Caution SPOILER included






















So the usual suspects up front so far this year, Corser doing well again, Kagayama in race 2 sideways in the rain several times, what was he playing at??? :o

Felt sorry for Stalker getting to the front and Harry Highsiding it, pretty much like 1/2 of the field to be fair. Laconi did well to finish at all in race 2, let alone grab 5th(???)

And what's going on with Toseland? I can't see him defending his title this year, he and the bike are going to need some major turn in fortunes unfortunately, and some bad luck be sprinkled liberally around the field

Watched Max Neukirchner mixing it with the big boys and holding his own.
Looks like a new star in the making?
Pity he is on a Honda!

Felt for Walker but he should have known better than that, he was easily the most confident in the wet and must have kicked himself silly after his off.
Then again, ZX10 in the wet :o

Did anyone see what went on with Muggeridge and Toseland?
Muggers was behind him just before the crash so whether he touched his back wheel or slid off and took him out??