The Ten Kate prepared CBR600RR machines of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes had been the pacesetters in nearly every session.  Kevin Curtain on his Yamaha Germany machine also put his name forward as a contender with some very fast lap times, which of course surprised nobody.

Broc Parkes got a great launch off the line and led them through turn one from Charpentier, but not for long as Muggeridge soon slipped past Charpentier to make it a Ten Kate 1-2 out in front.  Kevin Curtain was running fourth at this early stage of the race from Fabien Foret and Stephane Chambon.  Fujiwara got the better of Chambon late on the first lap.

But a Honda 1-2-3 up front while Kevin Curtain tried to hunt them down on his Yamaha as this four started to pull away from the field a little.

Broc then went down but got up unhurt.  Unfortunately that won't console the Newcastle boy as he stews on what could have been.

Charpentier then started to apply the pressure to Muggeridge for the lead as Kevin Curtain looked on only a few bike lengths behind.  However Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret had started to join the party and were already stalking their prey...

Charpentier then took the lead from Muggeridge after making a move at an unexpected part of the circuit, everyone then bunched up and the battle for the lead then became a six-way concern.  Charpentier, Muggeridge, Curtain, Foret, Vd Goorbergh the top five.

Kevin Curtain then slipped past Muggeridge for second place, a turn later Foret did the same trick to push Muggeridge down to fourth place.  Foret then put a move on Curtain but Kev came right back at the Frenchman, however he finally had to relent a couple of corners later as Foret made second place his. 

Charpentier then started to go backwards rapidly with machinery problems.  This gave Foret the lead while Karl Muggeridge moved back up to second place and Katsuaki Fujiwara pushed Kevin Curtain down to fourth place.  Vd Goorbergh also squeezed past Curtain a few corners later as they approached one-third race distance.  Curtain then drifted off the pack a little suggesting maybe a problem with his Yamaha machine.

No such problems for Foret's Yamaha though as the Frenchman continued to lead the way out in front while Karl Muggeridge started to come under heavy attack from Vd Goorbergh.

By half race distance Foret had pulled two seconds on Vd Goorbergh while Katsuaki Fujiwara started to show a wheel to Muggeridge in a challenge for third.  A few seconds further behind was a four-way battle for fifth place being fought out between Curtain, Chambon, Iannuzzo and Daemen.  The new 749R Ducati with Lorenzo Lanzi aboard also started to make a showing at the back of that second pack.

Fujiwara then made a pass stick on Muggeridge to take third place.  Meanwhile out in front the two Yamaha men, Foret and Vd Goorbergh, had started to stamp their authority by pulling away from their Suzuki and Honda pursuers.

Vd Goorbergh got the better of Foret after the Frenchman made a small mistake, the Dutch ex GP rider then started to pull away with three laps to run.  Lanzi on the Ducati had got the better of Chambon and Iannuzzo, while Curtain started to really fall off the pace with either a rubber or machinery problem.  A similar fate also befalling Muggeridge who had started to lose a lot of time as the laps counted down.

Jurgen Vd Goorbergh took a strong win while Foret came home second.  Fujiwara a good third from Lorenzo Lanzi on the Ducati in fourth. 

It is Yamaha who takes first blood.  That will certainly leave a bad taste in the mouth of the Ten Kate Honda squad.  Especially with Parkes falling while in the lead and Muggeridge drifting back from the lead down to a disappointing eighth place finish. 

Major kudos must go to Team Ducati with a fourth place finish for their new 749R.  But do they really still need a 25% capacity advantage over the Japanese machines?

Suzuki would be very happy with the performance of their all new GSX-R600 in it's first outing with three riders out of the top six aboard Suzuki machines. 

It is Honda who will be most disappointed here in round one, something that Parkes and Muggeridge will be eager to fix at round two of the championship which will be played out on their home ground, Phillip Island.  Kevin Curtain will also be eager to wash the foul taste of Valencia out of his mouth by sipping champagne at the Victorian circuit.  Of course the fast and flowing circuit has seen an all Aussie podium before when Kevin Curtain, Adam Fergusson and Andrew Pitt scored a 1-2-3 result three years ago.  Thousands of spectators will be hoping for a repeat of that feat in four weeks time, March 28, when again Phillip Island will reverberate as the World Supersport machines scream their way around the picturesque circuit.  Be there or be square!

1. Vd Goorbergh - Yamaha
2. Foret - Yamaha - 5secs
3. Fujiwara - Suzuki - 16secs
4. Lanzi - Ducati - 18secs
5. Chambon - Suzuki - 20secs
6. Iannuzzo - Suzuki - 22secs
7. Daemen - Honda - 25secs
8. Muggeridge - Honda - 25secs
9. Curtain - Yamaha - 44secs
10. Cruciani - Kawasaki - 53secs
11. Lagrive - Suzuki - 53secs
12. Tode - Yamaha - 55secs
13. Baiocco - Yamaha - 60secs
14. Neukirchner - Honda - 73secs
15. Andersen - Kawasaki - 75secs
16. Le Grelle - Honda - 78.7secs