Troy had his first difficult weekend of the championship today at Assen, but still leads the points standing by a healthy margin. Problems with wheelspin in both races kept Troy off the podium for the first time this season. Chris Vermeulen (Honda) won both races, which featured wheel-to-wheel action throughout the two16-lappers. James Toseland (Ducati) took second in race one, with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) third. In the second race, the positions were reversed with Haga taking runner-up spot ahead of Toseland.

TROY - Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 4th - "I knew we were due a duff weekend sometime this season and I guess this was it. But at least I finished both races and didn’t drop too many points. I’m not disappointed - just a bit frustrated. All weekend we had wheelspin problems and yesterday afternoon we changed an engine and I think maybe we lost our way a little.

"In both races today, I just couldn’t keep with the guys up front because I couldn’t get on the gas whilst the bike was leant over. I had to wait until it was more upright before I could get on the gas properly and that lost quite a bit of time. We changed the set-up of the bike for the second race and it was heaps better, but I still couldn’t gas it like normal. I was really pushing the front end hard in both races and if I’d pushed any harder, I’m sure I would have crashed. It was better to finish the races and take as many points as possible and that’s what I did. Hopefully, things will be back to normal next weekend at Lausitzring.

"See ya."

Suzuki Report

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Troy Corser continues to hold a healthy lead in the World Superbike Championship despite a missing the podium for the first time this season at today's ninth round at Assen in Holland.

The Australian suffered with wheelspin problems that dogged him throughout practice and during today's two races and that prevented him from putting his GSX-R1000 on the podium, although he still managed to pick up a pair of fourth places and takes an 86-point lead to the next round.

Team mate Yukio Kagayama struggled a little from set-up problems in the first race and rear-end chatter in the second and ended up sixth in race one and 11th in race two.

Young Aussie Chris Vermeulen won both 16-lappers today, but he was made to fight hard for both of them with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and James Toseland (Ducati). Toseland took runner-up spot in the first race with Haga third, but the positions were reversed in race two.

Troy Corser - Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 4th: "Today was a bit frustrating really, but I suppose if you had to have an off weekend, this one was not too bad. All weekend we've had problems with wheelspin and yesterday afternoon we changed an engine and that affected the set-up of the bike. Perhaps we lost our way a little then, but in the morning warm-up today things were pretty good, so we thought we'd be ok. But in both races I had problems with wheelspin and I couldn't get on the gas unless the bike was more or less upright. That cost me a lot of time each lap - enough for me not to be able to stay with the leaders. I pushed the front as hard as I've ever pushed it - any more and I would've crashed - but at least we got a couple of fourths. I would have liked to have left Assen with a few more points in the bag but that's the way it goes sometimes."

Yukio Kagayama - Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 11th: This is not how I planned the weekend! Before today, I believed that a podium or two was possible, so I am not so happy. In race one, it took me five laps to find my rhythm, but by then the front group had gone. My bike's balance was not perfect, but I think I lapped as fast as the leaders in the second part of the race, but it was too late. I had big problems in the second race with rear end chatter after five laps. I had started well in third and was fighting hard, but when the chattering started I couldn't keep my position. In the end, all I could do was keep going and bring my bike home."

Dutch Wild Card rider Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh scored 20th and 17th places on a one-off ride aboard a British Superbike Championship Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000.