WSB test Imola: Shakey taken to hospital after collision with Haslam, Crutchlow fastest

Shane Byrne finished the two day Imola test in hospital following a crash at the end of the day which left him with a severe cut on his left hand. Byrne was on an out lap when he was hit by fellow Brit Leon Haslam who was on a fast lap in the final minutes of the second days testing.

Speaking to MCN, Haslam said: “I had a big moment on the way in to Rivazza and it sent me to the inside of the track. I could see Shakey and could see that I was going to hit him. I locked the front three times trying to stop and then to avoid completely t-boning him I got back on the gas, but just caught his front wheel and we both went down. I think the back of my bike hit his hand. I’ve spoken to him since he got out of the hospital and he’s OK, I just feel really sorry about it.”

Shakey said: “I didn’t know anything about the crash until I was hit, When I came to a stop in the gravel I could feel that my hand was really hurting. I looked down at the gravel and thought how weird it was that somebody had painted it red and then I realised it was my blood. I was in the ambulance with Leon and we waited for a few minutes and there was blood everywhere – all over the floor and Leon was gagging. I got it stitched up in hospital at Imola and the good news is that I haven’t broken anything because to start with they thought my fingers were broken.”

Haslam still finished the test in third place with a time set on Tuesday afternoon having resolved the engine braking issues he experienced during last weeks Misano race weekend. Haslam admitted that it hadn’t been a good day having already had a heavy crash in the morning session when he lost the front at the Tamburella chicane.

Byrne was enjoying a good day up until his collision with Haslam and was sixth fastest in the final session before the crash and eighth overall despite not having access to the development Pirelli tyres of the factory teams, which were worth up half a second a lap.

Ultimate honours went to Sterilgarda Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow who left the two day Imola test full of confidence after setting the fastest lap time in the final 20 minutes of day two. Crutchlow used one of the new generation rear Pirelli tires to post his best lap and showed not only impressive pace but consistency on race rubber.

He said: “I did over 30 laps on the tyre, in and out of the pits and went from a 1.37.7 to low 39’s. After 12 laps on the tyre I was doing low 38’s which is a good race pace. At the end of the day I came in and put one of the new race tyres on and did two 37.4. I’m happy.”

Jonathan Rea was another rider to turnaround his fortunes by posting the fourth fastest lap time following his disaster in the Misano race where he finished 13th and 12th.

Ducati riders Michel Fabrizio, Noriyuki Haga and Carlos Checa secured the second, fifth and sixth fastest times respectively with a resurgent Ruben Xaus riding the factory BMW in seventh.

Tom Sykes made good use of the new spec Pirelli tyres to set the tenth fastest time one place behind Max Biaggi and ahead of Troy Corser and Sylvan Guintoli. James Toseland struggled to dial in his advanced electronics to finish 11th with Leon Camier having suffering with a strained tendon in his arm on the second day in 13th.

1 35 CRUTCHLOW Cal (GBR) Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 1’49.365 1’47.976 1’48.320 1’47.478 1’47.478 125
2 84 FABRIZIO Michel (ITA) Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 1’48.670 1’48.306 1’47.854 1’48.359 1’47.854 126
3 91 HASLAM Leon (GBR) Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’49.048 1’47.966 1’48.242 1’48.676 1’47.966 145
4 65 REA Jonathan (GBR) HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.735 1’48.839 1’47.990 1’48.363 1’47.990 153
5 41 HAGA Noriyuki (JPN) Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 1’50.417 1’48.835 1’48.364 1’48.096 1’48.096 123
6 7 CHECA Carlos (ESP) Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1’49.787 1’49.221 1’48.868 1’48.147 1’48.147 118
7 111 XAUS Ruben (ESP) BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1’50.038 1’49.144 1’48.329 1’48.329 71
8 67 BYRNE Shane (GBR) Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 1’49.611 1’50.620 1’49.150 1’48.666 1’48.666 97
9 3 BIAGGI Max (ITA) Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’49.412 1’49.184 1’49.429 1’48.690 1’48.690 114
10 66 SYKES Tom (GBR) Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’50.495 1’49.411 1’48.943 1’48.978 1’48.943 160
11 52 TOSELAND James (GBR) Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 1’50.579 1’49.663 1’49.555 1’49.031 1’49.031 127
12 11 CORSER Troy (AUS) BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 1’49.630 1’49.141 1’49.079 1’49.622 1’49.079 91
13 2 CAMIER Leon (GBR) Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’50.555 1’50.142 1’49.723 1’49.186 1’49.186 123
14 50 GUINTOLI Sylvain (FRA) Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’50.153 1’49.957 1’49.214 1’49.394 1’49.214 148
15 76 NEUKIRCHNER Max (GER) HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’51.495 1’50.096 1’49.634 1’49.423 1’49.423 141
16 23 PARKES Broc (AUS) ECHO CRS Honda Honda CBR1000RR 1’50.160 1’50.112 1’50.734 1’50.054 1’50.054 108
17 77 VERMEULEN Chris (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’51.862 1’50.706 1’50.099 1’50.074 1’50.074 162
18 54 SOFUOGLU Kenan (TUR) HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR 1’52.450 1’51.967 1’51.572 1’52.995 1’51.572 123
19 26 LASCORZ Joan (ESP) Kawasaki Motocard.com Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’52.792 1’52.270 1’51.971 1’51.781 1’51.781 177
20 51 PIRRO Michele (ITA) HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR600RR 1’53.859 1’52.867 1’52.244 1’54.872 1’52.244 113
21 86 BADOVINI Ayrton (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia STK BMW S1000 RR 1’53.081 1’52.375 1’52.375 35
22 20 BARRIER Sylvain (FRA) Garnier Junior Racing BMW S1000 RR 1’52.876 1’53.458 1’52.876 59
23 21 BERGER Maxime (FRA) Ten Kate Race Junior Honda CBR1000RR 1’54.210 1’53.146 1’53.146 46
24 87 ZANETTI Lorenzo (ITA) SS Lazio Motorsport Ducati 1098R 1’54.496 1’53.616 1’53.616 53
25 29 BERETTA Daniele (ITA) BMW Motorrad Italia STK BMW S1000 RR 1’54.574 1’53.622 1’53.622 81
26 6 BAZ Loris (FRA) MRS Racing Yamaha YZF R1 1’55.036 1’54.835 1’54.835 58