Despite the negative weather forecast the riders found nice and sunny weather today at Valencia for the first qualifying day of third round of 2006 World Superbike Championship.

Roberto Rolfo worked hard for his bike setting following the information took during the three-day test last month here in Spain.

“We made a good work because looking at the last test the bike is better, particularly in the rear.” – said at the end of the day Roberto Rolfo. – “Yet we must found a better balance of the bike, especially in qualifying condition, because the race setting I’ve seen that we are not too fast from the fastest riders. The data we collected during the test has been however very useful to point us in the right direction. Of course I’m not satisfied for the final result, but in the last minutes of qualifying I had just a fast lap free, then I found always a lot of traffic of slower riders, otherwise I suppose that I could be some tenths quicker. I hope that the weather will go on to be sunny for the tomorrow morning’s final session, because I’m confident to improve my lap performance to get inside the Superpole group. However we made a good job because during test session we were not very fast, but we have improved and so we are a bit satisfied, but we must improve more and more.”

Luka Nedog goes on with his apprenticeship. The bike of the Slovenian rider is very powerful and scored the fourth fastest in the speed trap, but Nedog hasn’t yet found the right feeling with the suspensions and today too suffered a crash during afternoon’s session, luckily without any new damage for the shoulder injured in Misano’s test.

“I didn’t find a good feeling with the bike.” – was Nedog’s comment at the end of first qualifying – “The engine hasn’t any problem, is very fast, but while I feel the rear of the bike OK I don’t feel the front and in such conditions when I push I make often some mistake, so today I crashed once more. I’ve been lucky that I did not hurt the right shoulder and don't have any new pain, so tomorrow I’ll be able to look for improve my lap time and take some position.”

15th fastest for Joshua Brookes for this first qualifying day. Also the Brookes’ bike is very fast, fifth fastest in the speed trap, but also the talented Australian rider hasn’t yet found the right feeling with him Ducati 749R.

“I can’t be satisfied with 15th fastest.” – said a disappointed Brookes at the end of qualifying – “We made a great work on the suspensions and the team works hard to set the bike for my riding style. The only certainty that I have is that the engine tuned by Franco Farné is very fast. Unfortunately also during the three day test session I wasn’t very fast, so the data that we collected in those sessions isn't very helpful, but we’ll not surrender and go on looking to be competitive.”