Lanzi was launched from his Ducati during the race one incident, but Toseland was just able to hang on to his Ten Kate Honda and - following some high-speed gravel riding - rejoined the race, albeit in last position.
"I got a good start initially, but I released the clutch a little bit too fast, the engine bogged, and it turned into a bad start after about ten yards," recalled Toseland. "As I went into the first corner, Lanzi went underneath me but then someone came underneath Lanzi and pushed him into me. I touched Lanzi as we were going wide. As I touched him, his rear just let go and, well, he came down with a snowball on his head. Unbelievable."
"I wanted to make a good start and I did, and I was almost immediately taking Corser for second place," stated Lanzi. "Then I felt the rear go away from me, I thought I had overdone it in the curve but after looking at the replay I realised that James touched me. Unfortunately these things happen, that's racing, I've also touched other riders' wheels when overtaking."
Meanwhile, Toseland was still on two wheels and battling his way through the gravel.
"I've never gone straight on here before and I'd never found out how big that gravel trap is. It just went on forever! The problem with the gravel trap is that it flows whichever way the farmer ploughing it goes so, whatever line he takes with the tractor, that's the line you'd better take with the bike as well!" smiled James. "It was full on, my trials and motocross years all came back to me!
"It was actually quite a good line into turn two! I saw everybody queuing up and I thought come on, come on! I went from third to last but didn't lose as much time as I thought and could start picking people off," he continued. "After about three laps I saw Biaggi in front and thought 'Catch up to Biaggi, he's going to be on the pace and whoever he carves up I'm carving up as well'. He was setting a really good pace that I could only just match. I could have possibly passed him but it would have been too big a risk."
