Colin Edwards targets Le Mans boost

Colin Edwards is confident he can kickstart his 2010 MotoGP campaign in Le Mans later this month having made significant progress with the set-up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 machine. 

Edwards enjoyed his best ever MotoGP campaign in 2009 when a series of consistent top six finishes secured him fifth place in the overall rankings.

But the popular Texan has made a slow start to the new season having finished eighth in Qatar and a lowly 12th in Jerez. 

The double World Superbike champion has struggled to find a good set-up with the 2010 YZR-M1 chassis but believes he made a big breakthrough during the recent Jerez test session in Spain.

Edwards, who has scored two of his 11 MotoGP podium finishes in Le Mans, told MCN: “I think we moved mountains in Jerez. Whenever I do have a problem it seems like I go into a turn and the bike just goes straight.

“And then when I do turn it and get on the throttle the front pops up high. To turn it I’ve actually got to spin the thing to the kerb to get it round the corner and whenever I struggle that’s how I have to ride it.

“But we figured a lot of stuff out and now I’m looking to Le Mans. We messed around a lot with the rear. Now it just feels like it is on rails. Now I can actually turn in and instead of running wide, the more I lean it over the more it turns.

“That has never happened because the more I lean it over usually the straighter I go. It seems I’ve got a lot of confidence in the front now. I’ve had a grey area for a while and I haven’t been able to figure out what has been going on.”

The French MotoGP clash in Le Mans takes place on May 23 and is the third round of the 2010 MotoGP world championship.