LAGRIVE SETS WORLD ENDURANCE POLE
12 August 2005 - Clear Channel Entertainment

Team Suzuki Castrol''s Matthieu Lagrive has taken pole position for tomorrow''s World Endurance fourth round at Oschersleben in Germany with a time of 1:29.960 after beating team-mate Vincent Philippe by a hundredth-of-a-second.

The World Championship-leading GSX-R1000-mounted SERT team headed Yamaha Austria''s Gwen Giabbani by half a second with third-placed Damian Cudlin of the Yamaha Phase One Endurance squad a tenth-of-a-second further back.

Tomorrow''s race looks set to be a battle between these three teams with Kawasaki Bolliger fighting for fourth place. Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se was fifth and JLC Ultimateam sixth riding a Suzuki-engined special with a radical hub-centre-steering front suspension system.

Shell Endurance Academy''s Calvin Hogan was seventh, Yamaha Racing Team Hepel-mann eighth, Ducati Spring Team ninth and Suzuki Bridgestone Bikers Profi tenth.

Only three of the top 10 teams'' first riders were fastest this morning, suggesting that the track may have warmed up over the course of the qualifying sessions.

Crashers so far have included Fagersjo-el.se''s Paul Young during first qualifying, Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team who have had to source a new frame from a local dealer and Suzuki No Limits & RT who returned from the first night practice session on the back of the recovery truck.

Said Lagrive: ''I''m very happy. I''m doing this for the team and for the championship. I''m just doing my job. I came here for a ride and, for sure, I wanted to go faster. It''s very hard here because there is a lot of traffic and I lost time on a lot of laps. I wanted to do a 1:28. The bike is ok for the race, Vincent and Keiichi are okay and we will ride easy for the finish.''

Suzuki Castrol team manager Dominique Meliand added: ''We will race for the Championship, not just for a win at Oschersleben tomorrow. The World Endurance Championship is very important for the Suzuki factory.''

Provisional Qualifying:

1 Suzuki Castrol Team - FRA - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) - M.Lagrive - 1:29.960.
2 Yamaha Austria 7 - AUT - (Yamaha YZF-R1) - G. Giabanni - 1:30.517.
3 Yamaha Phase One Endurance - GBR - (Yamaha YZF-R1) - D.Cudlin - 1:30.608.
4 Bolliger Team Switzerland - SUI - (Kawasaki ZX10R) - R.Stamm - 1:31.128.
5 Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se - SWE - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) - M.Christer - 1:31.687..
6 JLC Moto Ulteamatum - FRA - (JBB Suzuki) - A.Delhalle - 1:31.702.
7 Shell Endurance Academy - GBR - (Yamaha YZF-R1) - C.Hogan - 1:32.368.
8 Racing Team Hepelmann - GER - (Yamaha YZF-R1) - R.Kraechter - 1:32.405.
10 Ducati Team Spring - ITA - (Ducati 999RS) - L.Mauri - 1:32.719.
10 Suzuki Bridgestone Bikers - GER - (Suzuki GSX-R1000) - T. Roethig - 1:32.875.

Photo: David Reygondeau

www.clearchannel.com

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