World Superbikes - race one - Monza.

Throughout practice and qualifying, the Honda of Texan Colin Edwards was the rider/bike combination to beat. Edwards turned in two stunning laps to take top spot in qualifying which he then translated into a third successive Superpole victory. All things considered Colin had every justification for feeling confident at the start of Sunday's opening 18 lap blast around the historic Monza circuit.

Throughout practice and qualifying, the Honda of Texan Colin Edwards was the rider/bike combination to beat. Edwards turned in two stunning laps to take top spot in qualifying which he then translated into a third successive Superpole victory. All things considered Colin had every justification for feeling confident at the start of Sunday's opening 18 lap blast around the historic Monza circuit.

Edwards' plan started well enough as he out-dragged the fast starting Aprilia of second place man Troy Corser into the first corner and then immediately opened up a slight gap over his pursuers, led by Corser, Troy Bayliss and Noriyuki Haga.

As the field completed the opening lap Edwards still held a small lead over Corser, Bayliss, Aaron Slight up from 16th on the grid after a meteoric start, Chili and Haga. Already the race was turning into a wild slipstreaming battle behind the leader with positions changing at almost every turn. Behind Edwards, Chili scythed past Slight, Bayliss and Corser on the second lap while the Kawasaki of Akira Yanagawa also began making his presence felt, moving ahead of Slight and Haga into fifth place.

The race then developed into a more clear pattern with Edwards leading Chili by two seconds and then a further three seconds back Yanagawa gallantly keeping Bayliss, Slight, Corser and Haga at bay. After this frantic group another gap had developed back to the battle for eighth place between Gregorio Lavilla and Ben Bostrom which Lavilla settled on lap six when, using his harder compound tyres to good effect, was able to draw clear.

At this point Chili really put the hammer down, trading fastest laps with the fleeing Edwards. On lap 10 Chili equalled Edwards' fastest time of 1 minute 45.823 seconds and followed it up with a new record, stopping the clocks at 1 minute 45.820. The gap to the leader was decreasing and the crowd were becoming increasingly hysterical, sensing a home win.

On lap twelve, with an eight second lead over Yanagawa, Chili lapped the Monza track at an astonishing 1 minute 45.470 seconds and as they crossed the start/finish line the purple Suzuki pulled out of the white Honda's slipstream and nosed ahead into the Rettifilio. Edwards seemed content to sit in second place, giving Chili some of his own medicine. However starting lap 14, Edwards misjudged his braking point into the first chicane and was forced onto the grass rumble strips giving Chili some breathing space for the first time. Undeterred the Texan quickly set about closing the gap and by the completion of the lap the top two were together once more.

The pace had, by now slackened considerably as the leaders tried to out think each other but the gap back to the unrelenting third place struggle had grown to eleven seconds. Yanagawa grimly held on to the final podium position for the majority of the race with Bayliss and Slight taking turns to chase the Kawasaki down. Corser was still sixth but dropping away badly and about to be caught and passed by the squabbling Lavilla and Bostrom while championship leader Haga had retired with mechanical problems. This left Alessandro Antonello on the second factory Aprilia and the leading privateer, Robert Ulm to round out the top ten as the leaders entered their final lap.

The crowd had reached boiling point as the two front men crossed the start/finish line nose to tail to begin their final tour. Edwards led with Chili almost sitting on his exhaust pipes. Edwards was making a bold move and was trying to win the race from the front. The strategy looked to have paid off as Chili never once attempted a move around the first three quarters of the lap. Coming out of the Ascari chicane, Edwards began to weave across the track in an attempt to break Chili's slipstream. However as Colin moved to the outside of the track to take his line into the Parabolica, Chili drove his front wheel to the inside, stood on the brakes and took the line away. Holding the inside around that final bend Edwards looked to have got a better line onto the home straight but Chili was not to be denied holding off his rival by 0.028 seconds.

As Chili clasped the air and celebrated with the delirious fans Edwards cut a forlorn figure as he rode back to the pitlane, pondering what might have been. He had the consolation of being the new championship leader after Haga's demise but it was scant consolation at the time after such an aggressive ride.

Round nine result.

1. Pierfrancesco Chili Suzuki.
2. Colin Edwards Honda +0.028.
3. Akira Yanagawa Kawasaki +11.901.
4. Troy Bayliss Ducati +12.090.
5. Aaron Slight Honda +13.483.
6. Gregorio Lavilla Kawasaki +21.018.
7. Ben Bostrom Ducati +22.337.
8. Troy Corser Aprilia +22.914.
9. Alessandro Antonello Aprilia +30.029.
10. Robert Ulm Ducati +37.375.
11. Katsuaki Fujiwara Suzuki +43.840.
12. Vittoriano Guareschi Yamaha +55.068.
13. Mauro Sanchini Ducati +57.661.
14. Giovanni Bussei Kawasaki +58.644.
15. Markus Barth Yamaha +58.895.
16. Alessandro Gramigni Yamaha +1'00.259.
17. Freddie Protat Ducati +1'00.342.
18. Jurgen Oelschlaeger Yamaha +1'02.189.
19. Paolo Blora Ducati +1'04.291.
20. Lance Isaacs Ducati +1'08.436.
21. Marco Borciani Ducati +1'13.648.
22. Anthony Gobert Bimota 1 lap.
23. Jonnie Ekerold Honda 1 lap.
24. Claude-Alain Jaggi Honda 2 laps.

Did not finish.

Andy Meklau Ducati.
Lucio Pedercini Ducati.
Noriyuki Haga Yamaha.
Juan Borja Ducati.
Igor Antonelli Kawasaki.
Massimo De Silvestro Kawasaki.
Haruchika Aoki Ducati.
Jyri Mrkyvka Ducati.

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