Monza: Team Alstare Suzuki preview

The fourth round of this year's Superbike World Championship takes place at the famous and historic Monza circuit in northern Italy. Just a short step from chic and fashionable Milan, Monza has been part of the Superbike World Championship since 1990 and is a firm favourite amongst riders and race fans alike. The 5.792 kilometre circuit always provides fast, close-quarter racing, with tactics and slipstreaming playing an important part. Last year Troy Corser took victory in the first race (to make it six wins out of seven) and a third in the second and team mate Yukio Kagayama took runner-up spot in the race one and then DNF'd in race two. Team Alstare Engineering rider Fabien Foret didn't ride a Superbike last year, but has had lots of experience round Monza on a Supersport bike and is looking forward to his new challenge.

TROY
Monza is a great track for fast racing and you must have good horsepower to do well. Having said that, it is a place where slipstreaming plays a big role and it's possible to exit the final chicane third or fourth and still cross the line first! After Valencia, it'll be good to go to a fast track and hopefully my Suzuki will be able to outpower the Ducatis, so that I can go all-out for a couple of wins.

YUKIO
I like Monza because I like fast tracks and high-speed turns - even though my results were mixed there last year. So far, this season has not gone according to plan and it is about time I made the podiums again. We knew that the competition would be stronger this year, but it is up to me to qualify better and not have to work so hard at the beginning of a race trying to catch the leaders. I need to be with them right from the start! This is my aim for Monza and the rest of the season.

FABIEN
This will be my first time at Monza on a Superbike and it is going to be a very interesting experience for me because the track is so fast. I will have to forget about all my old braking points and learn to ride the track as if it was completely new to me. At Valencia, I was beginning to feel that the bike is now really mine and I enjoyed the races a lot. I would like to continue my progress at Monza by getting into Superpole and them going for a couple of top ten places.

-tas-