Ryuichi Kiyonari took his first-ever WSBK podium at Monza (Photo: Honda Pro Images) » More Photos

KIYONARI TAKES FIRST WORLD SUPERBIKE PODIUM

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) secured his first ever WSB podium finish today, taking third in race two, after a contest that he could have won. He led the last lap but was passed by eventual winner Noriyuki Haga, who then pushed Kiyonari onto a tight line exiting the Parabolica, preventing him from re-passing. The following rider, Max Neukirchner, therefore took second from Kiyo also, with the time difference from Haga to Kiyonari in third only 0.051 seconds.

Neukirchner had won the first race, from Haga and Troy Bayliss, with Kiyonari sixth. Front row qualifier Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had to fight through to finish eight, after being dropped off the start to 19th on lap one. Checa would crash out of race two, having already run off the track after an earlier incident at the first chicane. He is still second in the championship rankings, but lost points on overall leader Bayliss. Bayliss has 194 to Checa’s 116, while race two winner Haga is now third, on 112.

Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jnr CBR1000RR) had to withdraw from the Monza race after the first day of qualifying after his brother Sinan was killed in a racing accident at home in Turkey. The whole WSB paddock and all Kenan’s racing friends send their condolences to Kenan and his family.

Gregorio Lavilla (Vent Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) was 11th, in race one, despite running out of fuel towards the end, and Russell Holland (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was just out of the points in 16th.

Lavilla had to start the second leg from pitlane but made up ground, in a race littered by crashes, to secure a top ten finish. Lavilla is now 10th overall, on 59 points. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) did not finish the first race after his machine suffered a technical problem. He made genuine progress in race two, running in the top ten throughout and finishing sixth, equalling his season best. His machine was trapped at over 200mph in qualifying.

Honda’s hopes of more points at Monza were dealt a blow when regular rider Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) was injured in a training accident, and his eventual replacement, Giovanni Bussei, qualified 27th but had to rule himself out after the effect of his own arm recent injury began to make themselves felt.

Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR rider Shuhei Aoyama rode strongly for periods of each race, but dropped off the pace to finish 18th in race one and 16th in race two, having to pit in race two to repair his machine.

Luca Morelli (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) was 17th in race one and a non-finisher in race two.

Checa said: “In the first race I had a problem when I touched with another rider off the start and I was way down the field. I had a good pace but I was so far back I could only recover a few places. In the second race I was in a better position but then another rider hit me at the entrance to the first chicane, under braking, and that maybe bent something at the back of the bike. I fell at the Parabolica but I still don’t know why, maybe something to do with the earlier collision.”

Kiyonari, now ninth on 65 points, said: “I was too slow at the start of race one so in race two I concentrated on getting a good start and pushed hard, right from the beginning. I was able to catch Neukirchner and Haga, although they were riding really well. At one stage I thought I could win, but I knew I had to brake late into the Parabolica and I nearly lost the front, which made me run wide on the entry. But I’m really happy with my first podium.”

Lavilla said: “I lost two positions in race one because the bike was running out of fuel. I was ninth and trying to pass Checa at the time. Our bike didn’t start on the grid before race two and I had to take my second bike and start from pitlane. Your second bike never works like the first but I pushed hard and I knew that some riders would not finish. Even if I scored a single point, that was something. At the end of the day I got tenth, which was pretty good.”

Muggeridge said: “In the first race I was a bit nervous off the start, because we have to run such a long first gear here. I bogged it off the start and was about 20th, then got trapped by the Ducatis. Race two was good, that is more our real level, and I know we can do even better than that. Just starting from so far back is a handicap. In race two, our bike was pretty good.”

Holland said; “it feels much better fighting in with everyone else than running on your own. We had good speed from the bike this weekend, and we really made some progress.”

Aoyama said: "During race one I didn't have a good feeling with the bike and we didn't make a good race. We had problems with the rear tire and almost did not finish the race because of a lack of fuel. We made some changes for race two and I made a good start. I started 13th then I tried to follow the other riders. We had an electrical problem and had to pull in but because so many riders crashed out we carried on, hoping to score a point. But we just missed out."

The World Superbike series moves to Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, USA, for round six on June 1.