World Superbikes: Troy Bayliss Ready to test

Troy Bayliss believes he will be fit and ready for the opening round of the World Superbike Championship in Qatar next week (February 24, 2008) and is set to resume testing at the Middle East circuit tomorrow (Tuesday).

• Watch video of Troy Bayliss on the Ducati 1098

Troy Bayliss sustained a fractured right collarbone and Sternum on January 10 at Phillip Island during the official top teams Pirelli test.

Since his accident the double world champion has undergone daily ultra sound sessions in an effort to regain full fitness.

Speaking to MCN from Qatar, Troy Bayliss said: “I think I’m going to be ok to test tomorrow and I’m feeling pretty good. During the last week my treatment has really started to take affect and I’ve made really good progress.

“But I guess I’m going to have to wait and see until I get out on the bike. Until I start braking really hard out on track I’m not really going to know.”

After the opening day of testing on Sunday, which took place with the official Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki teams, Troy Bayliss’ former team mate Lorenzo Lanzi set the pace ahead of fellow Ducati men Ruben Xaus and Max Biaggi.

Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla impressed at his first outing on the difficult to learn circuit with the fourth fastest time, just 0.2 seconds behind Max Biaggi.

The Kawasaki PSG-1 team’s start to the season got off to a disastrous start after one of their crates got damaged in transit, rendering three engines unusable, meaning neither Regis Laconi or Makoto Tamada clocked an official time.

Day one Qatar test times:

Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati), 1m59.6s
Ruben Xaus (Ducati), 2m01.1s
Max Biaggi (Ducati), 2m01.2s
Gregorio Lavilla (Honda), 2m01.4s
Russell Holland (Honda), 2m01.6s
Karl Muggeridge (Honda), 2m02.5s
Ayrton Badovini (Kawasaki), 2m03.0s
Vittorio Iannuzzo (Kawasaki), 2m04.0s
Regis Laconi (Kawasaki), no time
Makoto Tamada (Kawasaki), no time