2009 WSBK French round : the report

News - 2009 WSBK French round : the report
10/08/2009

As Kawasaki was announcing its withdrawal from MotoGP, World Superbike was claiming a record number of contenders. That finally appeared as an excess of optimism from several teams. Some were forced to renounce before the season start, to reduce their personnel or to give up during the season due to a lack of funds. Even the Alstare Suzuki official team had to cope with a insolvent sponsor.

The riders also lived a trying season. Several of them suffered serious injuries which kept them away from track for long periods : Régis Laconi, out since the South African round, Max Neukirchner, victim of Monza's group crash, Makoto Tamada, Shinya Nakano... As for Karl Muggeridge, his team replaced him by a paying rider as he was in convalescence. Eventually, the Australian found rides with Honda in British Superbikes then with Suzuki in World Superbikes .

In this context, the definition of the program turned out to be rather complex this year ; the pass was secured since March. I tried to choose the right models. In the end, the watercolours I made of Lorenzo Lanzi and other injured riders will wait one season in my portfolios, hoping they'll present at Magny-Cours in 2010.

Except these missed appointments, I've been rather lucky. First and foremost, I wanted to meet the riders from BSB and the US champion Ben Spies. I had made several artworks about these riders which career are already well-filled.

From left to right : Cal Crutchlow (from behind), Leon Haslam, Ben Spies and Shane Byrne

They all signed ! Then Mon petit atelier's winter will Superbike. You'll discover, according to the following schedule, 9 new profiles and 11 updates from next week.

19 - Ben Spies (Yamaha) - WSBK (new)		10/15/2009
41 - Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) - WSBK (update)		10/15/2009
35 - Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) - WSSP (new)		10/22/2009
50 - Eugene Laverty (Honda) - WSSP (new)		10/29/2009
91 - Leon Haslam (Honda) - WSBK (new)		11/05/2009
66 - Tom Sykes (Yamaha) - WSBK (new)		11/12/2009
67 - Shane Byrne (Ducati) - WSBK (new)		11/19/2009
96 - Jakub Smrz (Ducati) - WSBK (new)		11/26/2009
23 - Broc Parkes (Kawasaki) - WSBK (new)		12/03/2009
94 - David Checa (Yamaha) - WSBK (new)		12/10/2009
7 - Carlos Checa (Honda) - WSBK (update)		12/10/2009
84 - Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) - WSBK (update)		12/17/2009
13 - Anthony West (Honda) - WSSP (update)		12/23/2009
65 - Jonathan Rea (Honda) - WSBK (update)		12/30/2009
88 - Andrew Pitt (Honda) - WSSP (update)		01/07/2010
23 - Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) - WSBK (update)		01/14/2010
24 - Garry McCoy (Triumph) - WSSP (update)		01/21/2010
21 - Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki) - WSSP (update)		01/28/2010
31 - Karl Muggeridge (Suzuki) - WSBK (update)		02/04/2010
71 - Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) - WSBK (update)		02/11/2010

Related items :
- 2008 WSBK French round : the report
- 2007 WSBK French round : the report

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