Wednesday, April 6 2011
Wednesday 6th April 2011 World Superbike contender Tom Sykes has put a frustrating result at Donington behind him and is now fully focused on the next round of the championship at Assen, Netherlands on 17th April.
“I can’t deny that what happened at Donington was disappointing and it’s taken me a while to put it to the back of my mind. I was confident I could fight for the win as my bike was set up perfectly and I felt ultra confident on the track, but it wasn’t to be. Since then we’ve made some small, but important changes to the bike which I will get to test next week. I think my consistent lap times in practice and qualifying at Donington speak for themselves really,” commented Tom.
Assen is a familiar track for Tom, who has enjoyed racing here before, although this will be the first time he’s raced on the circuit with the new Ninja ZX-10R.
“This year’s machine is a huge step forward and dominates in all areas of the track. My riding style means I benefit from circuits which include short bursts of acceleration followed by heavy braking into corners – Assen is pretty fast, but the new machine holds a stable line even at high speed, so I know I can push to the limit,” continued the WSB star.
With two of the thirteen round championship out of the way Tom has had now had some quality time on the bike and is pleased with the pace at which it is developing.
“Now Phillip Island and Donington have both been and gone I’ve got a good idea of how competitive the Ninga is against the other bikes on the grid and I’m happy with the changes we’ve made over the recent races. My times have been good through all the sectors at both races so far and I’ll be looking to step onto the podium at Assen. Between now and then I’ll focus on training, and generally being ready for the next race.” said the twenty-five year old Yorkshireman.
With just over a week to go before round three of the 2011 WSB Championship at Assen, Netherlands Tom will continue to train hard – giving himself the best chances of taking his first podium of the year.
“I don’t want to burn myself out leading up to the race so I’m just going to stick to my training schedule and remain focused. There’s no doubt that both the Kawasaki and I are ready to take the win at Assen, the team has done a great job and I feel prepared – it’s just a matter of time now,” concluded Sykes.
Tom’s next race is at the classic Dutch circuit of Assen, on Apri 17.
Images by kind permission of GeeBee Images – High resolution versions for media use available on request
Keep up to date with Tom’s season on his official website at www.tomsykes66.com
