Superbike Race 1

Karl Muggeridge recovered to take sixth place in the fourth round World Superbike championship race at Monza today after a start-line incident left him towards the back of the field on the opening lap. His Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Chris Vermeulen, retired from the race on the second of 18 laps at the 5.8km Monza circuit.

Starting from the front row with eventual race winner, Troy Corser, Muggeridge was clipped by another rider which damaged his clutch lever. The Australian was able to work his way back through the field, however, to take his best result so far in his debut Superbike season.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager: “After the performances we have shown through practice and qualifying, that was a disappointing race – it was pretty much over for us on the first lap. Karl was quickest in warm-up this morning, with Chris third fastest so yes, we were expecting more. Karl was in 18th place at the end of the first lap but recovered very well after his difficult start. We will have to see what caused the problem with Chris’s bike and hope that both riders can display the form they have showed all weekend in the second race this afternoon.”

Karl Muggeridge - sixth - “My start was OK and I was pulling off the line all right when I just got hit on the left by another rider. My hand was knocked off the handlebar and the clutch lever was hit. After that, I knew I had to be careful going into the first chicane because I could hear a lot of other riders banging into each other. I got through OK and thought: ‘Well, let’s just give it a go’. I used up my tyres pretty early getting past the guys in front of me and worked the brakes pretty hard, too. I got some points but I was certainly hoping for more. I’ll just have to give it another go in race two.”

Chris Vermeulen - DNF - “Yeah, not great. I got away pretty good and thought I could certainly stay with the guys in front of me. But it was only the second lap, so you can never tell. I had a little problem with the throttle cable on the first lap of warm-up this morning but when I got some laps in, the bike felt great and I was ready for the race. It’s one of those things I guess and I’ll be giving it my best in race two. We’ve been improving the bike all weekend and I think we deserve a good result.”

Superbike Race 2

Chris Vermeulen took his first win of the 2005 World Superbike championship in the second race of this afternoon’s fourth round at Monza in Italy. His Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, finished in fourth place behind Regis Laconi and Troy Corser.

The 18-lapper around the historic 5.8km Monza circuit developed into a thrilling battle with the top four riders breaking away and swapping positions in each other’s slipstreams. After starting the race from the second row of the grid, Vermeulen battled his way past Muggeridge, Yukio Kagayama and then Corser, passing Laconi on the final lap.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager: “I’m just so happy. Not only for Chris but for the whole team who have been working so hard this weekend. They really deserve to celebrate tonight after making such a significant step forward in the development of the CBR1000RR. Chris rode a fantastic race and timed his passing move to perfection. I was very pleased for Karl’s fourth place as well, although I think maybe he deserved to get on the podium. His perseverance and determination after the problems of the first few rounds has really impressed me. There are still 16 races left in this year’s championship so anything can still happen. We will hopefully carry this form on to Silverstone and look for even better results there.”

Chris Vermeulen - first - “That feels so good. We’ve all been working a very long time for that and it’s been hard work. Two second places at Valencia were a step forward but we’ve made an even bigger one here at Monza this weekend. Once I’d got past Troy in that second race I just put my head down to try and catch Regis, who’d spent a long time at the front. I caught him just at the right time on that last lap and managed to hang on. It certainly makes up for the disappointment of not finishing the first race and, overall, it’s been a really positive weekend. We’ve moved everything forward and let’s hope that can continue.”

Karl Muggeridge - fourth - “I would so like to have got on that podium but I made a little mistake exiting the first chicane on the final lap and Troy managed to open a little gap. I should have beaten him but it wasn’t to be. I tried to pace myself through the race but the pace didn’t ease up at all and I just couldn’t find a way past Chris in the first half. But the bike is much better and it’s been a good weekend for us. There’s still heaps of work to do to improve it in some areas but we’ve got something now that can take us forward for the rest of the season.”

Supersport Race

Katsuaki Fujiwara won today’s fourth round World Supersport championship in warm sunshine at Monza, beating his Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Sébastien Charpentier, by just three hundredths of a second after 16 laps of the 5.8km circuit.

In a thrilling race, both riders fought off the attentions of third placed rider, Gianluca Nannelli, with all three constantly swapping positions by utilising the slipstream affect of Monza’s long straights. The race marks Fujiwara’s second victory of the season, matching Charpentier’s record of two wins, and closes the championship gap on his rival to just seven points.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager: “That was a beautiful race, to which Nannelli contributed with our own two riders. Katsuaki and Sébastien were able to break away from him for the last couple of laps but Nannelli matched them for speed right up until that point. I have to say they put my heart rate on the rev limiter again by battling so closely on the last lap but it’s fantastic to see them both on the top two steps of the podium for the third time this season.”

Katsuaki Fujiwara – first - “I am so happy to win here at Monza. The team has been working very well all through the season and they deserve this as much as me. Congratulations to Sébastien and Gianluca for a great race. It was not so easy to pass either of them today but my CBR was perfect– the engine was very strong and the tyres were fantastic. It was very close with Sébastien on the last lap and we touched a few times, but it’s a World Supersport race and it’s sometimes like that!”

Sébastien Charpentier – second - “I think we put on a very good show today for all the spectators at Monza and those watching on television. It was good fun and I really enjoyed it. Katsuaki was very strong today and I tried very hard to win the race on the last lap. But I shifted down one time too many going into the Parabolica for the last time and ran a little bit wide which allowed Katsuaki to pass me. Second place is good for the championship, though, and another Winston Ten Kate Honda one-two finish is fantastic for the team. We can all celebrate tonight!”