LACONI (DUCATI XEROX) TAKES SUPERB DOUBLE WIN IN MISANO CAULDRON

Misano Adriatico (Italy), Sunday 26 June: A splendid double win for Régis Laconi
thrilled a large Santamonica circuit crowd today and re-launched the Ducati
Xerox Team rider's ambitions in this year's championship. At the half-way point
of the season, Laconi has now closed the gap on leader Troy Corser (Suzuki) to
92 points with six rounds left. In a sweltering Misano (air temperature hovering
around 32° and track 53°), the French rider scored two dominant wins, finishing
twice on the top of the podium together with Australians Chris Vermeulen (Honda)
and Corser (Suzuki) in that order. Team-mate James Toseland also rode two
determined races but had to settle for two fourth places.

"This is a great day for us because Misano is always one of our home circuits.
There were a lot of people from Ducati here today and a lot of our fans around
the circuit" declared Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. "We know that the
competition in Superbike has improved a lot this year and that for sure we're
going to have to work really hard during the rest of the season, but today
Laconi rode two extraordinary races and fully deserved the wins".

"This was the second double win of my career, but my first this year and I am so
happy" declared Laconi. "Ducati have done a great job to help me win these races
today. They were both really hard because of the conditions but the second race
was even more so. In particular the last five laps were terrible and I just
wanted to finish because really I couldn't do any more, I was just sliding
everywhere and I slowed down so much at the finish because I was so tired. A big
thanks to Ducati and thanks to my team, we did a great job today and this double
win is for them!"

"I rode really hard in both races" commented James. "In the second we made a
slight change but it didn't make things much better. Unlike Régis I've never
been unbelievably fast around here for some reason, which is my problem and I
know I have to sort that out. I was good in a few places but I didn't get the
best feeling all weekend and it was a bit frustrating for me out there today.
Coming home in fourth was not the plan but that was all I could get and I
couldn't do any more. I've had worse days and two fourths are not bad results
but I have to feel a bit disappointed. I might have had a podium if the first
race hadn't been stopped".

RACE 1:

 1. Laconi (Ducati Xerox)
 2. Vermeulen (Honda)
 3. Corser (Suzuki)
 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox)
 5. Lanzi (Ducati)
 6. Haga (Yamaha)
 7. Chili (Honda)
 8. Walker (Kawasaki)

RACE 2:

 1. Laconi
 2. Vermeulen
 3. Corser
 4. Toseland
 5  Chili
 6. Haga
 7. Muggeridge
 8. Martin

POINTS (after 6 of 12 rounds) :

Riders
 1. Corser     254
 2. Vermeulen  181
 3. Laconi     192
 4. Kagayama   148
 5. Toseland   124
 6. Haga        88

Manufacturers
 1. Suzuki    263
 2. Ducati    200
 3. Honda     194
 4. Yamaha    129
 5. Kawasaki  100
 6. Petronas   17