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October 30, 2004 |
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MOTOGP - VALENCIA - SATURDAY QUALIFYING |
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Ducati Corse Press
Ducati MotoGP Team rider Troy Bayliss rode an awesome final qualifying session at sun-kissed Valencia this afternoon, putting his Desmosedici GP4 on the second row of the grid, just 0.68 seconds adrift of pole position man Makoto Tamada. Loris Capirossi had a less lucky day, getting too sideways on his fastest lap to end the session on the fifth row. The grid for tomorrow’s MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix – the last of the 16-race MotoGP season – is incredibly closely packed, Capirossi only 0.966 seconds off pole.
“Troy ran a very good pace this afternoon, so he should have a good race tomorrow,” commented Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “Loris was unlucky. He lost the rear through the last, fast left-hander, so he will start further back on the grid than he really deserves. Without that, he would’ve made the second or third row. Troy used the different front forks he tried during our recent tests at Phillip Island. Loris also tried these forks at the tests but decided he prefers what he’s already using; it’s just a matter of individual rider preference. Tomorrow morning we will work to try and find some more speed for Loris but starting from the fifth row will make it a difficult race for him. From what we’ve seen of Troy’s pace on race tyres, I think he could fight for a podium finish, which would be a good end to the season.”
Troy Bayliss enjoyed another fine qualifying performance at Valencia this afternoon, recording the sixth fastest time aboard his Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP4. The Australian opted to use different Ohlins forks today and immediately found them to his liking, gaining more front-end feeling so that he can attack corners more aggressively.
“That was a perfect day – as good as it’s going to get,” said a cheerful Bayliss. “I’m now using the new front forks we tried at Phillip Island and I’m really happy with them, really happy. They give me a lot more feeling going into the turns, so the bike feels better than it’s felt for a while. It’s finally coming together, so I really do believe that Ducati will have a good bike next year. The track picked up some grip today and I did some good laps on race tyres so things are looking okay. I want a good race tomorrow. It’s my last race for Ducati and I want to give them a good result, not that I don’t always try just as hard.”
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