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Monza: Team Alstare Suzuki Saturday report

YUKIO'S BIRTHDAY TREAT. Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama gave himself the best possible birthday present by taking Superpole today at Monza. Yukio put in a faultless lap of 1:47.143, which beat his team mate Troy by just seven ...

Published: May 8, 2005, 5:52 PM

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YUKIO'S BIRTHDAY TREAT.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama gave himself the best possible birthday present by taking Superpole today at Monza. Yukio put in a faultless lap of 1:47.143, which beat his team mate Troy by just seven thousandths of a second! Third quickest was Regis Laconi (Ducati), with Karl Muggeridge (Honda) fourth. Troy was lucky in Superpole because he hit a bird on his out lap but didn't crash. The bird struck his brake lever and became wedged in between the lever and the brake cable, so Troy had to flick it out and make sure it had not caused any damage before getting up to speed for his flying lap.

YUKIO KAGAYAMA - 1st, 1:47.439

I am very happy to get Superpole today and because it is my birthday, it is a nice present I think. It was a good lap and a perfect lap because I diid not make any mistakes. I have been very happy with the qualifying tyres here, but I am not so sure about my race tyres. One tyre I like only lasted five or six laps before it went off, so I will have to try another type in the morning warm-up tomorrow and then decide what to do. Tomorrow, strategy is going to be very important. I must not go out very hard from the start and make the tyre wear out, but I must use my head throughout the race and especially think what to do at the end. People tell me that I had some slides on my Superpole lap, but I did not feel them. It's better that way!

TROY CORSER - 2nd, 1:47.446

Two things cost me some time in Superpole. On my warm-up lap a bird hit my bike and then hit me and there was blood all over my right arm and shoulder. I guess I was lucky because it could have been much worse - especially if it had happened on my flying lap. Also, I made a small mistake when I ran a little wide exiting on of the chicanes and that lost me some time. But all credit to Yukio, because he managed to beat me today - even though it was only by seven thousandths of a second! This afternoon he followed me for a bit and that helped him learn the track a bit better and of course do a good Superpole lap. I am very happy with my bike set-up and, apart from adjusting the mapping a little in the morning warm-up tomorrow, I think we are all set. I don't think anybody is going to get away in the races and expect four or five of us will be pretty close to each other at the end and that should be great for all the fans.

-tas-

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