Opening day end with Bayliss on top

BAYLISS QUICKEST DESPITE AFTERNOON PROBLEM Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) continued his rich seam of early season form with the fastest lap of the first day of testing at Valencia. His best time of 1’35.220 was fully 0.860 seconds faster than the next quickest rider, Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Bayliss was lucky not to fall on the final corner, after his machine picked up some track debris on the tyre, cutting through an oil line and putting oil down on the track. The red flag came out but after track cleaning a full session was eventually concluded. Good early conditions meant that the top two best times were set in the morning session, when the temperatures were lower than the afternoon high of 28°C.

BARROS THIRD DESPITE CRASH Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) was one of the riders who improved his times in the afternoon, but suffered a crash that caused extensive damage to machine, if not the man himself. The Brazilian rider had already underlined his Superbike credentials again by that stage, finishing third of the 28 riders in attendance. In fourth place, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) was the top Yamaha rider, with Winston Ten Kate Honda pilot Karl Muggeridge just behind. Another rider to improve in the afternoon heat was Lorenzo Lanzi, sixth on his Ducati Xerox machine.

WALKER SEVENTH ON DAY ONE Fifth fastest in the morning session, Chris Walker PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) finished the day seventh, testing new engine parts in his big Kawasaki. The top ten, after two sessions, was rounded out by Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Walker’s team-mate, Fonsi Nieto. James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) just missed out on the top ten, finishing one place behind, and despite a crash, Steve Martin was 13th fastest on the lead Petronas Racing FP-1. Two more days of testing are scheduled.

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Once again 2005 champion Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was the top runner in Supersport, and this time he had his team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu for company, albeit some way behind Charpentier’s best of 1’37.877. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany), currently second in the championship, was only sixth on day one, but a solid wall of four Yamaha riders filled third to sixth places. Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia) was the quickest of them, with another class rookie, Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia).

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Team Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) used the morning session to put his R1 at the head of the Superstock charts, followed by Alessandro Polita (Team Celani Suzuki), just over half a second adrift of the best time. In third place, Matej Smrz (MS Racing Honda) was an impressive early entrant, with 23 riders competing for times at this test, before the first race of the Superstock season at Valencia on April 23.