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Reynolds: ‘I can’t beat Ducati’

18 March 2002

Reynolds: ‘I can’t beat Ducati’

SUZUKI’S John Reynolds says his GSX-R1000 needs even more development before it can beat the Ducatis in this year’s British Superbike series. The defending champion had seemed happy with the progress...

Bayliss quickest at Phillip Island qualifying

18 March 2002

TROY BAYLISS stamped his authority on the opening day of round two of the WSB series at Phillip Island in Australia by claiming provisional pole position. Infostrada Ducati’s Bayliss was four-tenths of a second faster than nearest rival Colin Edwards on the Castrol Honda VTR SP-2 with the Australian world champ looking comfortable. His time of 1:32.656s was just over half a second slower than the...

Simon Crafar: In his own words

18 March 2002

Gsxer400: How long did it take you to decide to make a comeback? SimonCrafar: Er, I would say about a week. Thinking about it and talking to a couple of teams and my wife, and deciding that I was really was as fired up as I felt and it really wasn’t just a brief…mid-life crisis Dpc: How does a 2002 R1 British superbike compare with the Yamaha GP bike you rode? SimonCrafar: Obviously, on paper it’s...

Carmichael takes title lead with third Daytona win

11 March 2002

Carmichael takes title lead with third Daytona win

Ricky Carmichael made it three in a row in AMA supercross when he won the Daytona event on his home track. It was also his third Daytona win on the trot. David Vuillemin, who was leading the...

Lampkin loses indoor title

11 March 2002

Lampkin loses indoor title

Dougie Lampkin has lost his first title in five years of indoor and outdoor world trials. Plagued by an ankle injury since the fourth round in Italy, but also under pressure all season, Dougie...

IRTA test: Rossi leads the way

11 March 2002

IRTA test: Rossi leads the way

18,000 fans turned out to see Valentino Rossi dominate the IRTA GP test at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona at the weekend. It was the first clash between the new four-stroke title contenders and...

It’s tough for riders when autograph hunters work in packs

11 March 2002

It’s tough for riders when autograph hunters work in packs

It’s tough for riders when autograph hunters work in packs

Aprilia man joins Foggy team

11 March 2002

Aprilia man joins Foggy team

Carl Fogarty has signed former Aprilia engineering chief Guiseppe Bernicchia to improve his chances of having the three-cylinder FP1 ready for track testing by the end of next month. Bernicchia spent...

McGuinness to miss Oz WSS round

11 March 2002

McGuinness to miss Oz WSS round

John McGuinness has been withdrawn from the Australian round of the World Supersport series because he is not recovering fast enough from the shoulder injury he recently suffered. McGuinness struggled...

MCN Sport magazine out now

11 March 2002

MCN Sport magazine out now

Don’t miss MCN Sport’s latest issue. It’s out nowand comes complete with our greatest ever season preview, Rossi’s go-faster secrets and why James Toseland is fitter than David Beckham. And on top of...

Who says scouting isn’t cool?

11 March 2002

Who says scouting isn’t cool?

Who says scouting isn’t cool?

Coates out for start of BSB season

11 March 2002

Coates out for start of BSB season

Adrian Coates will miss the start of the BSB season after breaking his leg during testing in Spain. The British 250 champion was having his second outing on the Padgett’s Suzuki GSX-R1000 he will...

Castrol’s new multigrade

11 March 2002

Castrol’s new multigrade

Castrol’s new multigrade

Heckles: I’d never ridden on slicks before

11 March 2002

Heckles: I’d never ridden on slicks before

Britain’s Mark Heckles made his World Superbike debut at Valencia, and on Thursday March 14, he joined us live in our VIP lounge for a webchat to tell us what it was like. His inauspicious start to...

Slight makes last gasp switch to BTCC

11 March 2002

Slight makes last gasp switch to BTCC

Former World Superbike star Aaron Slight will be racing in the British Touring Car Championship after securing a drive with Barwell Motorsports. Slight had been linked with the ASCAR oval racing...

Don’t even think it…

11 March 2002

Don’t even think it…

Nyah! So there!

Robinson to ride Blade in BSB

11 March 2002

Robinson to ride Blade in BSB

Jamie Robinson will ride a Honda FireBlade in BSB this season after striking a last minute deal with the UK importers. Robinson, 25, had been looking at running a Ducati or Suzuki in the series this...

Mark Heckles: In his own words

11 March 2002

Daveb: What was it like lining up on the WSB grid for the first time? MarkHeckles: In a word … amazing. To come so far so quickly was amazing really. Namezippy: What are your hopes for this season? MarkHeckles: My hopes…are to progress even further as a rider and to be competitive at such a high level. As a rider I have no doubt I’ve got what it takes to be worthy of being one of the strongest...

Toseland is fitter than Beckham

11 March 2002

Toseland is fitter than Beckham

James Toseland is fitter than football superstar David Beckham, our tests at Lilleshall have revealed. GSE Ducati WSB rider Toseland, standing 10th in the world championship after the opening races in...

She works here, you know

11 March 2002

She works here, you know

She works here, you know

A nice pair of tats

11 March 2002

A nice pair of tats

A nice pair of tats

The Spice Girls in a previous life

11 March 2002

The Spice Girls in a previous life

The Spice Girls in a previous life

Foggy in Valencia to reveal more on Petronas project

04 March 2002

Foggy in Valencia to reveal more on Petronas project

IT may be four months before we’re due to see Carl Fogarty’s new Petronas World Superbike contender on the track, but Foggy will be at this weekend’s opening round in Valencia to reveal more details...

Xaus on provisional pole for Valencia

04 March 2002

Xaus on provisional pole for Valencia

Ducati’s Ruben Xaus was fastest in qualifying on Friday for Sunday’s WSB opener in Valencia. His time was more than half a second under the fastest qualifying time set last year. Reigning world...

Bostrom misses out as Bayliss takes pole

04 March 2002

Bostrom misses out as Bayliss takes pole

Ben Bostrom staged an amazing recovery to come within a tenth of a second of taking pole in Saturday’s Superpole at Valencia. But it was reigning world champion Troy Bayliss who came out No1. Baylisss...

Free eight-page WSB preview

04 March 2002

Free eight-page WSB preview

Buy MCN on Wednesday (March 6, 2002) and you’ll get a free eight-page pull-out preview to the WSB season which kicks off this weekend. In it you can win VIP passes worth £600, Carl Fogarty rates the...

Win a KBC Chrome helmet

04 March 2002

Win a KBC Chrome helmet worth £229. Entry costs 50p per competition, per entry. This competition runs from May 29-June 5. Other entry mechanisms are published in MCN. South Korea-based manufacturer KBC claims to be the first company to make a completely chrome-coated helmet after perfecting the process to cover lids with the shiny metal – and you can win one. MCN has teamed up with the firm to...

Benelli pulls out of WSB for first three rounds

04 March 2002

Benelli is out of the opening WSB races in Valencia on Sunday citing cash shortages. Essentially, they have blown up too many engines and don’t have enough left to compete. The factory, which has been showing off its road bike in Valencia, says it will have to miss the first three rounds of the season, but is confident it will be back for the Monza WSB round. MCN learned of the decision on...

Your bids raise £4537 for Clinica Mobile

04 March 2002

Your bids raise £4537 for Clinica Mobile

Your bids have helped raise £4537.22p for the Clinica Mobile in an auction on this site which closed at midnight on March 1. Chili, Edwards, Bayliss, Toseland and Haydon went under the hammer with...

Play MCN Fantasy Racing online – and win a ZX-7

04 March 2002

Play MCN Fantasy Racing online – and win a ZX-7

THERE’S more than £10,000 worth of prizes – including a new Kawasaki ZX-7R – up for grabs in the biggest ever MCN Fantasy Road Race competition. And for the first time this year you can play the game...

Bayliss socks it to ‘em in Valencia

04 March 2002

Bayliss socks it to ‘em in Valencia

WSB champion Troy Bayliss got the perfect start to his title defence with two wins in Valencia on Sunday afternoon…thanks to his lucky socks. Bayliss had worn the same pair in his successful...

Whitham banned from morning practice

04 March 2002

Jamie Whitham was seething after having to sit out the Friday morning practice session in Valencia while his World Supersport rivals got a head start on their set-ups. Whitham was banned from the morning session by an FIM official because he had missed the riders briefing held on Thursday. He was angry because a representative of his Belgarda Yamaha team had been granted permission by SBK...

Rossi & co head-to-head this weekend

04 March 2002

Rossi & co head-to-head this weekend

Valentino Rossi will clash with his major GP rivals on Saturday in the first meeting of all the new four-strokes at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona. The reigning world champion though will be...

Walker WILL ride in WSB opener

04 March 2002

Walker WILL ride in WSB opener

Chris Walker is looking better and will ride in Sunday’s opening WSB round in Valencia, Spain. Walker still has partial facial paralysis as the result of a bout of Bells Palsy and is struggling to...

Honda Britain to race in superbikes

04 March 2002

Honda Britain to race in superbikes

Honda Britain is backing a team in BSB this year. The firm has announced it will back Lee Jackson on a privateer 2002 FireBlade in the Superbike series. Jackson’s bike is being prepared by Paul Bird...

And this is my thoughtful look

04 March 2002

And this is my thoughtful look

Nori thought that looking deep and meaningful was the way to impress the brolly babes