Byrne kicking heals waiting for Portimao
Added on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Byrne kicking heals waiting for Portimao
Shane Byrne admits that he couldn’t wait for the second round of the World Superbike after seeing his progress at Phillip Island hampered by crashes in free practice and in warm-up.
The Brit, who was a revelation in pre-season testing with the Althea Ducati team, struggled with fitness in Australia after two knocks, leaving him 12th and 14th in the two races whilst his teammate Carlos Checa took a first place finish in race two on what was a thrilling opening weekend.
But Byrne has admitted at feeling frustrated by the three week lay-off between the opening round in Australia and the second round in Portugal, claiming that he can’t wait to set the record straight in Portimao.
“The only thing I wanted was for the second race of the year to come along the week after Phillip Island,” he told the WSB website. “I just couldn’t go fast after my crashes but now I need to get to Portimao, Valencia, Assen - all the other rounds. It is not about being fast at one track. I really like Portimao but I don’t just want to go well, there, I want to be on the podium there, at Valencia, at Assen, and all the other places.
“All through testing and early practice we showed we had the speed. But I just feel disappointed for Genesio Bevilacqua, the team owner, because he put a lot of faith in me giving me that ride in 2010. I really wanted to be Carlos at Phillip Island and be the one giving Genesio the podiums!”
