Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavi Simeon set the fourth quickest lap of final qualifying today and will start on the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s 14-lap race. In the afternoon qualifying Xavi took a tumble and banged his right ankle. He was taken to the Clinica Mobile, but no breaks were revealed, though his ankle was heavily swollen. But Xavi is determined to race tomorrow and will be going all-out for a podium. Frenchman Maxime Berger (Honda) took pole position, with a lap of 1:28.879. Second Michele Pirro (Yamaha), with Brendan Roberts (Ducati) third.
Xavi - 4th, 1:29.297
In the afternoon qualifying session I had a crash. I was braking late, hit a bump and the bike wobbled and I knew I couldn’t make the turn. So I got the bike upright and went straight into the gravel. Unfortunately the gravel trap was not so big and I ended up hitting the airfence! I went to the Clinica Mobile and they checked me out, but all was OK, so I stayed there for a while with an ice-pack on my ankle to try and reduce the swelling.
I am confident that it will be OK for the race tomorrow, though 14 laps round here is going to be quite hard. Today we changed the front and rear suspension on the bike and straightaway there was a big improvement and I felt more comfortable. I was able to go quicker then yesterday and that made me happy. Now I think I have a bike that can challenge for the podium and that’s what I will be trying to do.
Circuit: 3.702 kms. Weather: Sunny/cloudy, some rain.
Final qualifying:
1 Berger (F-Honda) 1:28.879
2 Pirro (I-Yamaha) 1:29.205
3 Roberts (Aus-Ducati) 1:29.258
4 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki) 1:29.297
5 Corti (I-Yamaha) 1:29.589
6 Morais (RSA-Kawasaki) 1:29.618
