The first meeting of 2009 Superbike World Championship confirmed Team Sterilgarda as one of the most promising team of the contest. After three days of testing on Portimao track, the team's latest signing Shane Byrne recorded the quikest time. As well the British was the fastest rider during the first four testing sessions, both on wet and dry track and today he has confirmed his score in the simulation of the new Superpole. The BSB champion has immediately found a great feeling with the bike, also thanks to the hard job of the team which has worked according to Shakey's precious guidelines. Byrne has left the Portuguese track with the belief of having found an excellent basic set-up.
Good job done by Alex Polita too. The 'Pirate' focused his work especially on getting a good feeling with the Superbike machine, which is very different from the Superstock bike by which he grabbed the third final place in the last championship. Unfortunately an hitch at the front of his machine has partially prevented the session and it has been fixed only at the end of the Superpole.
Shane Byrne - Ducati 1098 RS: “The last three days of testing have been really useful. I got a good feeling with the bike and I was able to test different solutions especially on the set-up and on the suspension. The team did a really good job and they made the bike more suitable for my riding style: as consequence we recorded excellent times. Being the quickest rider for three days in a row is a big satisfaction and it allows me to hope for the future”.
Alex Polita - Ducati 1098RS : “My priority was beginning to get a good feeling with the bike and starting to realise its reactions to the changes. I was able to do the work partially, I would have been able to get a better feedback with more time. Unfortunately all the morning sessions were wet and in addition I got an hitch at the fork which was fixed only at the end of the week-end. Anyhow it has been an helpful week-end and I will carry on my testing in Australia, where the championship will start”.
Marco Borciani - Team Manager: “I'm really satisfied with the job done. I would like to congratulate with both the riders for their professionalism and the way they faced this testing. The three days of test have been really hard both for the team and the riders but it allows us to view the future with optimism. I got very impressed by Shane's ease to find the feeling with the bike. As well Polita did a good job although the hitch at the fork influenced partially his work”.
TIMES: Summary of the 3 days 1. 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.2942. 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.484
3. 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.487
4. 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.546
5. 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.657
6. 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.674
7. 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.767
8. 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.951
9. 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.115
10. 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.170
11. 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.261
12. 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.425
13. 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.546
14. 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.610
15. 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.704
16. 53 Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.10817. 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.179
18. 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.199
19. 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'45.278
20. 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.393
21. 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.446
22. 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.672
23. 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.679
24. 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.820
25. 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.128
26. 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.916
27. 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.971
Day 3 Superpole test 1. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.874;2. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.965;
3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.144;
4. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'44.157;
5. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.217;
6. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.261;
7. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.586;
8. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'47.057;
9. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'49.387;
10. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'52.340;
11. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'56.553;
12. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'56.643;
13. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'44.119;
14. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'45.182;
15. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.624;
16. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.931;
17. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.181;
18. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.260;
19. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'46.849;20. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'46.897
Day 2 1 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.2942 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.484
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.487
4 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.546
5 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.657
6 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.674
7. 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.767
8. 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.951
9. 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.115
10. 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.170
11. 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.425
12. 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.479
13. 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.546
14. 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.610
15. 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.704
16. 53 Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.10817. 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.179
18. 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.260
19. 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'45.278
20. 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.393
21. 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.446
22. 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.672
23. 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.679
24. 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.820
25. 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.128
26. 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.916
27. 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.971
Day 1 1. 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'44.2652. 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.468
3. 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'44.652
4. 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.931
5. 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'44.976
6. 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'45.266
7. 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.323
8. 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.329
9. 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.373
10. 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'45.448
11. 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.558
12. 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.914
13. 53 Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'46.11014. 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.121
15. 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.261
16. 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'46.440
17. 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.586
18. 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.948
19. 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.957
20. 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'47.340
21. 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.639
22. 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'47.699
23. 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'48.269
24. 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'48.274
25. 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'49.800
26. 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'50.187
27. 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'53.550
