ALFONSI LEADS YAMAHA DOMINATION AT ASSEN
05 September 2004 - Yamaha Racing

Yamaha’s officially supported European superstock riders dominated round seven of the series at Assen today, filling the podium in a race darkened by a fatal accident that saw Italian privateer Alessio Perelli lose his life.

As has usually been the case this season, Lorenzini by Leoni riders Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello battled for the lead throughout, closely followed by Yamaha Motor Germany’s Kenan Sofuoglu. However, Perilli’s crash brought out the red flags on the ninth lap and a result was declared using the positions at the end of lap eight, giving Alfonsi his third win of the season with pole sitter Vizziello second and Sofuoglu third.

Didier van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany) set a new lap record and ran with the leaders in the opening laps. However the pace proved too hot for the 19-year-old Belgian, who rode through the pain of a pelvic injury sustained in the last round in Brands Hatch. He slipped back from the leading group but still running in an impressive fifth, behind Ricardo Chiarello (Suzuki) when the race was declared.

Vizziello has a 16 point advantage over Alfonsi in the points standings with two rounds remaining. Sofuoglu is third, followed closely by Chiarello and Van Keymeulen.

Lorenzo Alfonsi (Lorenzini by Leoni) – first
“We felt good here all weekend and had a perfect race set-up from the very first session. It was going according to plan and I have won the race - but there is nothing to be happy about after hearing that another competitor has been killed in a terrible accident.”

Gianluca Vizziello (Lorenzini by Leoni) – second
“This is a sad day and I regret my initial reaction when I saw the red flags come out. I was disappointed because my plan was to follow Lorenzo and pass him on the last lap. When I saw the race was stopped I knew that the result would be declared and as I crossed the line I made a gesture out of frustration. Of course at the time I did not know that there had been a serious accident and I would like to apologise for any offence I may have caused.”

Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) – third
“I rode on the short circuit here two weeks ago in a national championship race, so I already had some good lines for my first time on the full circuit. It is a nice track and I am pleased to be able to finish ahead of the other riders who can finish third in the championship.”

Didier van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany) – fifth
“I did not get such a good start and that made it hard work for me. I tried to make a pass on Chiarello but made a mistake and lost some time, after that it was not possible to catch him. My injury has been in the back of my mind this weekend and I knew that it if I had a big crash it could make things worse. I am looking forward to Imola where I will be fully fit and able to ride much better.”


Race classification European Superstock

Round: 7 - Assen
Circuit: Assen
Circuit Length: 6027
Lap Record: 2'' 7.374 (Didier Van Keymeulen, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 2'' 7.374 (Didier Van Keymeulen, 2004)

Race 1: 8 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 L. Alfonsi Yamaha ITA 17'' 8.919
2 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA +0.333
3 K. Sofuoglu Yamaha TUR +1.852
4 R. Chiarello Suzuki ITA +2.645
5 D. Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL +5.243
6 E. Rocamora Kawasaki ESP +8.490
7 A. Polita Ducati ITA +13.069
8 B. Martinez Yamaha ESP +13.479
9 J. Laverty Yamaha IRL +14.496
10 L. Scassa Kawasaki ITA +16.546
11 P. Vanstaen Suzuki FRA +16.760
12 A. Badovini Ducati ITA +21.116
13 B. Withag Yamaha NED +22.361
14 A. Perilli Yamaha ITA +22.597
15 J. Hurtado Suzuki ESP +23.827

Fastest Race Lap:
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 D. Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL 2'' 7.374

Championship standings European Superstock

Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Gianluca Vizziello Yamaha ITA 160
2 Lorenzo Alfonsi Yamaha ITA 144
3 Kenan Sofuoglu Yamaha TUR 68
4 Riccardo Chiarello Suzuki ITA 64
5 Didier Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL 60
6 Ilario Dionisi Suzuki ITA 50
7 Enrique Rocamora Kawasaki ESP 50
8 Bernat Martinez Yamaha ESP 47
9 Luca Scassa Kawasaki ITA 44
10 Allessandro Polita Ducati ITA 38
11 Alex Martinez Mas Honda ESP 35
12 John Laverty Yamaha IRL 34
13 Willam De Angelis Ducati SMR 26
14 Pierrot Vanstaen Suzuki FRA 21
15 Jose Hurtado Suzuki ESP 20

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