Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavier Simeon ended final qualifying with the eighth quickest time and will start tomorrows eleven lap race at Monza from the second row of the grid. After the problems yesterday, Xav was much happier with his bike today and was able to challenge the top runners - five of whom raced here at Monza during the Italian championship race last weekend and so have considerably greater track knowledge. Michele Pirro (Yamaha) took pole position today, with a lap of 1:49.741, almost four tenths of a second ahead of his nearest rival, and team mate, Claudio Corti. Third quickest today is Danilo DellOmo (MV), with Matteo Baiocco (Yamaha) fourth.
Xav - 8th, 1:51.140I feel much happier today then yesterday because my bike is working a lot better. It feels fast and really we are not so far from the best riders except Pirro and Corti. Apart from those two, I feel confident that I can fight with everybody and that gives me a lot of encouragement. I know I need to make a good start tomorrow, because it is so easy to get held up round here and then its difficult to get back in touch with the leaders. This is an important race for the team and I want to give them, and myself, a good result. I know its going to be a very hard race, but that is the kind of race I like.
Final Qualifying:1. Pirro (I-Yamaha) 1:49.741,
2. Corti (I-Yamaha) 1:50.158,
3. DellOmo (I-MV) 1:50.413,
4. Baiocco (I-Yamaha) 1:50.476,
5. Van Keymeulen (B-Yamaha) 1:50.662,
6. Dionisi (I-Suzuki) 1:50.688,
7. Aitchison (Aus-Suzuki) 1:50.851,
8. Xavier Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:51.140,
9. Tode (D-Honda) 1:51.407,
10. Morais (RSA-Ducati) 1:51.469,
Circuit: 5.793 kms
Weather: Dry, sunny 23 - 27 C
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