Troy Bayliss tops first day of official Superbike test in Valencia

Troy Corser and Lorenzo Lanzi completed the top three

Troy Bayliss beat the 2004 track best record. © Ducati Corse. The first day of the official Valencia FGSport tests was dominated from the start by the awesome combination of 2006 World Champion Troy Bayliss and his 999F07 Ducati Xerox machine. 2006 World Champ beat the 2004 track best record with a strong 1'34"482 and was followed into the 1'34 bracket only by 2005 champ Troy Corser, who set a 1'34"895. The fabulous weather conditions that blessed the test allowed all 22 entered riders to push hard from the morning to the afternoon session, with one more day of good weather expected.

Italian rider Lorenzo Lanzi continued his good testing from with a third best lap of the opening day, while Qatar race winner Max Biaggi worked as hard as usual to gain the fourth fastest single lap time. Perennial SBK hard charger Noriyuki Haga was fifth in the rankings, closely followed by the Kawasaki of local hero Fonsi Nieto.

Yukio was back in Valencia setting the ninth fastest lap time of the day. © Suzuki Racing. Spanish privateer rider Ruben Xaus ran out seventh fastest rider at Valencia, only two days after his wedding. A sterling performance from 22-year-old Alessandro Polita saw the 2006 Superstock 1000 champion end up a highly respectable eighth. Despite great pain from a recently damaged shoulder, Yukio Kagayama was ninth fastest, with the second factory Kawasaki of Regis Laconi tenth, some 1.303 seconds down on Bayliss.

Day 1 Times:

1	Troy Bayliss	Ducati	1'34"482
2	Troy Corser	Yamaha	1'34"895
3	Lorenzo Lanzi	Ducati	1'35"128
4	Max Biaggi	Suzuki	1'35"203
5	Noriyuki Haga	Yamaha	1'35"593
6	Fonsi Nieto	Kawasaki	1'35"607
7	Ruben Xaus	Ducati	1'35"627
8	Alessandro Polita	Suzuki	1'35"769
9	Yukio Kagayama	Suzuki	1'35"785
10	Regis Laconi	Kawasaki	1'35"785

Valencia Best Lap: 2003 - Neil Hodgson - 1'34"633

Valencia Superpole Record: 2002 - Troy Bayliss - 1'34"814

World Supersport riders also rode on the Valencian tarmac. Fabien Foret, winner of the most recent Phillip Island race, continued his rich seam of pace at Valencia by scoring fastest time of the first day, a 1'37"556. In the morning session the clear leader was rejuvenated Honda star Katsuaki Fujiwara but his overall second place was forced on him by the sheer speed of Foret. Misano race winner in 2006, Massimo Roccoli was an assured third fastest, with Foret's team-mate Pere Riba fourth, only just over half a second from Foret.

Kevin Curtain was fifth across both sessions, with his team-mate Broc Parkes just behind. Riding a 2006-spec machine, Lorenzo Alfonsi was an impressive seventh. Barry Veneman proved to be quickest Suzuki rider on day one, 12th from 24 riders, on his Pioneer Hoegee Racing GSX-R.

(FGSport)