Fabien Foret secured a battling second place for the Yamaha World Supersport Team at Valencia today in a delayed race at the 4.005km circuit in Spain.
In addition to Foret's podium, which looked unlikely after he suffered a big crash and slight concussion on Friday, his team-mate Broc Parkes went second in the championship overall by taking fourth place after a solid race.
Although neither rider felt that they had the perfect set up to maximise grip on the ever-changing Valencia circuit, each was able to secure important points on yet another day when many of the pre-season favourites made no scores.
Foret had Craig Jones for company close behind for much of the 23-lap race that started 40 minutes later than schedule to allow for track repairs from an earlier Superbike crash. Broc Parkes was in line for a podium finish for most of the race and set the race's fastest lap until he was forced to slow because of a reduction in front tyre grip.
In the championship, after three rounds, Parkes takes second position with a total of 38 points, while Foret is now third overall, on 33.
Despite being 18th on lap one starting from 7th position, Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) was seventh in the race today. He was looking to charge into the top five for some time but had to settle for seventh due to a lack of front tyre grip. Yamaha Spain rider David Salom finished 16th and just out of the points.
Fabien Foret (Positon: 2nd - Time: +0'1.125 - Yamaha World Supersport Team)"I was much better physically today, just a little tense because I knew that I really could not crash and lose points, especially after a no-score in Qatar in round one. I didn't make a great start off the line but in the first couple of corners I just went around some other riders and soon I was about fifth or sixth. I was able to put together a good race and hold off Craig Jones, who pushed me very hard. In the championship we have taken some good points but I could really do nothing about winning the race today."
Broc Parkes (Positon: 4th - Time: +0'10.514 - Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"Although fourth is not a bad result, today wasn't my day. I chose the wrong front tyre and that was a big problem in the middle of the race because I had no front grip. I tried to bring it home on the podium but even on the rear I didn't feel I had the perfect set-up. I tried to go with the guys in second and third but I had to settle for fourth, because I didn't have the pace. I saw a lot guys who chose the same front tyre as me go down and I can understand why. I'm second in the championship anyway, so that is a good confidence booster for us all."
Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team)
"It was a bit of a hot race here and it was really important not to crash as a lot of people went off without any warning. You can lose a lot here and I think we won a lot, because of what we did and because of some other guys falling. Our riders did well to wait and see what was happening, that was our target for the first five or six laps. Second and third in the championship is a good finish to our race weekend."
Massimo Roccoli (Position: 7th - Time: +0'19.636 - Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni)"I had a terrible start but I made up a lot of places very quickly. About half way through the race my front tyre was finished so I had to slow down and lost any more chance I had of a better finish."
Circuit Length: 4005
Temp: 25
Crowd: 60.000
Weather: Sunny
WSS - Valencia - Race 1 - 23 Laps:1. Joan Lascorz - Honda - ESP 37'58.607
2. Fabien Foret - Yamaha - FRA 0'1.125
3. Craig Jones - Honda - GBR 0'1.530
4. Broc Parkes - Yamaha - AUS 0'10.514
5. Gianluca Nannelli - Honda - ITA 0'17.492
6. Jonathan Rea - Honda - GBR 0'17.602
7. Massimo Roccoli - Yamaha - ITA 0'19.636
8. Angel Rodriguez - Kawasaki - ESP 0'19.694
9. Chris Walker - Kawasaki - GBR 0'25.230
10. Mark Aitchinson - Triumph - AUS 0'25.702
11. Katsuaki Fujiwara - Kawasaki - JPN 0'32.370
12. Gianluca Vizziello - Honda - ITA 0'33.370
13. Matthieu Lagrive - Honda - FRA 0'34.706
14. Vesa Kallio - Honda - FIN 0'39.956
15. Miguel Praia - Honda - POR 0'40.227
16. David Salom - Yamaha - ESP 0'40.357
Best Lap: Broc Parkes - Yamaha - AUS 1'37.590
Rider Standings:1. Joan Lascorz - Honda - ESP 54
2. Broc Parkes - Yamaha - AUS 38
3. Fabien Foret - Yamaha - FRA 33
4. Joshua Brookes - Honda - AUS 33
5. Craig Jones - Honda - GBR 32
6. Andrew Pitt - Honda - AUS 25
7. Robbin Harms - Honda - DNK 25
8. Jonathan Rea - Honda - GBR 21
9. Gianluca Vizziello - Honda - ITA 18
10. Gianluca Nannelli - Honda - ITA 17
11. Massimo Roccoli - Yamaha - ITA 16
12. Chris Walker - Kawasaki - GBR 16
13. Matthieu Lagrive - Honda - FRA 14
14. Garry McCoy - Triumph - AUS 10
15. Barry Veneman - Suzuki - NED 10
19. David Salom - Yamaha - ESP 8
Manufacturer Standings:1. Honda 70
2. Yamaha 58
3. Triumph 20
4. Kawasaki 17
5. Suzuki 10
