World SuperSport
2001 - Round 4 - Monza - Preview
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2000 pole position: Ruben Xaus (Ducati) 1m 52.188s Round four of the World Supersport championship takes in Monza where thrilling 170mph slipstreaming battles are almost guaranteed. Honda's Pere Riba leads the 11-round championship by three points from fellow-CBR600F Sport-mounted Kevin Curtain. Australian Curtain has an eight-point cushion over Italian Yamaha rider Paolo Casoli - winner of last year's Monza race. G. Ten Kate team rider Riba comments: "We've made a great start to the year and new CBR600 Honda has been the difference. We now go to Monza where top speed is crucial and I'm confident we've got that." Curtain, riding for the Belgium-based BKM Honda squad, is equally confident, he says: "The new Honda is making life much easier this year and I'm ready and excited about the battle we're all anticipating at Monza. I realise there's a championship at stake at the end of this now but right now I just want to win another race to add to my Phillip Island win last month." Curtain's team-mate for this season was Ivan Goi who was completely out-classed by the Australian and has therefore been replaced by Migliorati. Castrol Honda's Chris Vermeulen makes his debut at the Monza circuit and the young Australian is relishing the opportunity to race at one of the world's oldest circuits. Vermeulen finished 14th in the last round in Japan two weeks ago after failing to finish in the first and second rounds in Spain and Australia. The 18-year-old believes the new CBR600F Sport machine will be a winner at Monza after it took wins in Spain with Pere Riba and in Australia with Kevin Curtain. Vermeulen says: "We're improving the Castrol Honda week by week and I'm confident we'll have the horse power for Monza. Just from what I've seen of the track already it looks pretty exciting. Racing at places like Monza is one of the benefits of contesting a world championship and I can't wait to get going. I need some strong finishes in the next few weeks and I'd really like to get a top five finish or even get on the podium here." Subscribers received the full article directly to their inbox |
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