Meanwhile his team-mate and 2004 World champion is having an even tougher 2005 so far, running in an unaccustomedly lowly eighth place,
James Toseland is struggling after some dreadful misfortunes and high-speed crashes. As a winner at Valencia last year, his rivals know that he could well bounce back to be in running for honours again come raceday.
Youth has been given chances in high profile teams once more this year, as fourth placed rider
Chris Vermeulen on the Winston Ten Kate Honda and Max Neukirchner on the Klaffi Honda battle it out for unofficial status of top Honda rider of 2005.
Neukirchner, a promotee from WSS last year, will join Vermeulen on the 22-year mark, shortly before the Valencia weekend.
In marked contrast, Neukirchner's team-mate – the most experienced World Superbike riders there is – Pierfrancesco Chili is suffering from a broken collarbone from the Phillip Island event. Despite this Chili fully intends to ride in Spain, once more showing the grit that has underlined his long and glorious racing career.
Meanwhile Vermeulen's Ten Kate team-mate,
Karl Muggeridge enjoyed a stellar WSS career, and joins the premier series for the first time this year as the reigning WSS champion. Having fielded the worst effects of illness at Qatar and misfortune in Australia, the 30-year-old Gold Coast rider, now based in Andorra and Switzerland, has a lot to look forward to at a track he has already tested on this season.
Of the five top Honda entrants in the field, Ben Bostrom with the Renegade Honda team will see his Valencia results most likely influenced by machinery, as his team continues to catch up time after an unavoidably late start to their 2005 preparations.
