Sykes stays in control, Lowes sets WSS pace despite injury

Factory Kawasaki man, Tom Sykes dipped under the lap record using race tyres on the second day of the scheduled three day Aragon test this week.

His pace was the clearest indication yet that the 27 year old has recovered from his wrist and rib injures sustained in testing for the first round of the championship back in February.

Sykes’ best time of 1’57.7 was 0.3 seconds faster than Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) with the second-year Suzuki rider also moving forward in preparation for the second round of the championship which will be held at Aragon on April 14th.

Pata Honda riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea once more toiled to
find the right electronics solutions, to the point whereby both only
just set times inside the two minute barrier.

In a French duel Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) went third
fastest, Loris Baz (KRT) was fourth.

Two Ducati riders were on display in the absence of the recovering Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini, with Niccolo Canepa and Matteo Baiocco not quite inside the two-minute mark. Privateer Pedercini Kawasaki riders Federico Sandi and Alex Lundh completed the SBK rider line up on day two of three.

WSS battler Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Yamaha) put in a storming 2:01.7
minute lap despite his badly sprained wrist and two broken fingers on his left hand. He proved to be a second faster than the DMC Lorenzini Kawasaki of Scot Kevin Coghlan.

Lowes said: “I did about 45 to 50 laps today although I crashed yesterday afternoon. I have a bruised and bashed left wrist but it’s  not broken. I have two broken fingers, the middle one and the one  nearer the little finger.

I did a 12-lap run today, not 18 because of my hand, and all of the laps were in a 2’02. Last year I won the race and my best lap was a 2’03.3 in the race. The track is a little bit quicker, but to do every lap in the 2’02s in a race set-up run was mint; I am really happy with that. I will do a few laps tomorrow but only a few to check out the bike for the race next week.”

Unofficial times

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’57.7
2. Leon Camier (Suzuki) 1’58.0
3. Jules Cluzel (Suzuki) 1’59.1
4. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) 1’59.3
5. Leon Haslam (Honda) 1’59.8
6. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1’59.9
7. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) 2’00.0
8. Matteo Baiocco (Ducati) 2’00.4
9. Federico Sandi (Kawasaki) 2’01.0
10. Alexander Lundh (Kawasaki) 2’01.7

WSS

1. Sam Lowes (Yamaha) 2’01.7
2. Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki) 2’02.7
3. Michael van Der Mark (Honda) 2.03.1