The intentions were all to do well with Melandri starting on the front row from third position, Checa on second row in sixth and Camier in seventh. Unfortunately it did not go as we had hoped, in race 1 the misfortune began with Fabrizio who crashed on the first lap shortly followed by Carlos with a similar crash after a few laps then Marco who lost the front end on lap six while in third place. Passing the chequered flag we could only record a fifth place for Camier, ninth for Badovini and twelfth for Checa who managed to complete the race despite his crash.
In race 2 the bad luck continued and while leading on lap eight, Marco lost the front end again and crashed for the second time so achieved no points in either race. Finally a better result for Camier who came third, Checa sixth and Badovini ninth.
In the general standings Marco now relinquishes the first position (now in second) while Checa stays in fourth. Next race is at Portimao on 23/9
MARCO MELANDRI Nolan X-802
"Today was my first time to have a double zero. It was two different races, but with the same result. I am very disappointed for the team, which is working so hard. In race one I struggled a lot with rear grip and was losing a lot compared to the guys in front of me so I was trying to catch them in braking. I was braking very hard every time but in corner eight I took a bump and just lost the front. I don’t know yet what was the reason for my crash in race two. I was on the straight and lost the front. That was strange. Now I will recharge my batteries and fight back in Portugal."
CARLOS CHECA X-lite X-802
"The crash is just one of those things – we were doing what we needed to do, pushing hard to stay with the frontrunners. It was a shame because I had made a great start and had good pace. Once I got back on track I got back into my rhythm and was able to pass several riders throughout the race. It wasn’t easy because I had lost my foot pedal in the crash but I think I rode a good race from last position, and in the end was able to take a few points. The second race went better as far as the result was concerned but we cannot fight with the others, who get away in acceleration – it’s an unbalanced game right now as far as I’m concerned. We need to continue fighting and doing what we can with what we have, pushing our package to the limit and seeing what comes of it."
