long way

17 laps of Nurburgring is a long race - especially when you are 'neck and neck for each and every lap.

Dead heat - almost.

0.009 - nine thousandths!

That's just what Lex beat me by.

A tremendous race long battle, must have been fabulous to watch I would get him on the twisty bits and he would power past on the straights.

I really did think I had it as well!
Third was Stephano.

Neither of them were on the rostrum at Assen, looking forward to tomorrow.

Race today at last.

The organisers have suggested that if everything goes okay with superbike practice then we will get a race today.

Michael Schumacher is here riding, so superbikes take priority over everything else.

Should get on track in about an hour.

Foggy qualifying

The organisers came round and told everyone that it was likely that due to the weather the race today would be cancelled and if lucky, we might have some qualifying later in the afternoon.
Just as we were all relaxing Harry ran into the tent shouting that he heard Supermono qualifying on the tannoy.
The paddock went mad.

We made it on track riding through the lifting fog. A few laps later it started to thicken again and the red flag came out - just one lap after I had scored pole position.
Sum total of laps since arriving = 10.

Will I ever get on track?

Look at the weather for today!
You can't see anything of the track!

Everything is delayed and we are already two hours behind schedule.

It does not bode well as we are supposed to be qualifying in an hour and being the last race of the day who knows what might happen yet.

No practice for me.

Martin has not managed to get here in time for today's practice so I am having to sit out and watch everyone else do lots of laps.

Oh well I will just have to try my best in the one qualifying session we get tomorrow lunchtime.

Then we have our first race last thing.

I have been looking at the Italian TM machine. Its gorgeous, pure factory - it should be the bike to beat.
Might be hard going.

Small snack, kuchen for the team.

Martin is on his way so we might get out in the practice session later today.

Steve is away at the Isle of Man TT having a holiday and Harry drove here overnight after finishing work.

We have just popped in to the beautiful traditional town of Adenau to buy cakes for the whole team.

Arrived at Frankfurt.

It is 30 degrees! Feels a bit stormy though.

Main problem:
how to fit all the luggage in the Fiat Panda as I have brought two sets of leathers and gear.

As it has rained for every single event this season, I am expecting another downpour and we have two races this weekend.

Just as well we get up to 60kg on our KLM cards!

Video overview - Assen UEM Supermono Cup

Assen Report

My report of the UEM Supermono Cup round one from Assen on the Mali Jawa is ready for viewing on my web site http://www.mike-edwards.net

Pictures and story from yours truly at the Ducati Club of Netherlands yearly meeting at the home of the Dutch TT, great track and great a event.

What a race!

Started on slicks, then the heavy rain called a halt after just two laps.
It took us so long to change to wet wheels that I missed the restart.
As we were late we had to wait in the pit lane for the whole grid to pass.
I rode out at the very back thinking there was a warm up lap! Seeing everyone tucked in on the back straight I realised it was the race!
8 laps later I took the flag. Great weekend.

Job done.

Assen warm up.

Arrived at the circuit this morning to find everyone still in bed.
Apparently Father Libor had everyone on the Czech Rum once Martin had finished mending his bike.
Harry was first up, but Steve seems to have a bit of a mis fire.
Very windy today, even could rain.
Managed a few quick laps and was fastest in the warm up.

Second timed session.

I changed the gearing as it is still a bit windy from this morning.
I went a bit faster doing a 52-2.
Very happy though as I am doing constant 52s.
Lex also did a 52.9.
The Mali Jawa team are on pole!

good first timed session.

Fastest in the first 25 min timed session with a 1.52-7.
Then its Lex and Mark Lawes.
I am quite pleased to be the only one in the 52s for the session.

Very very busy.

The paddock is packed.
What a popular and busy meeting.
The queue for scrutineering is huge and full of Ducatis!
Seen lots of Brits already, Lily and Franco Nisco to name just a couple.

Thanks Norfolkline!

Just Crossed Dover - Dunkerque with Norfolkline, excellent service as usual.

Ships are great and food is fantastic, no foot passenger or coach parties, simply the best way to cross the channel.

Roli got to ride out on deck the whole way.

View overview of CRMC R.3 Lydden

Lydden report.

This is a great shot by Paul Vickers Sport-pics just doing the report from Lydden, it will be up on my main website today.

Better finish to the day.

Betty and I had a fantastic 350 race with Lea. It really was nip and tuck but we got the win by just 0.06 of a second!

For the last race of the day I rode Andy Molnar's personal 500 to make sure that I got more points for the championship.
The bike is unfamiliar and Luke Notton was out to beat me, but I managed to come home in 2nd behind Lea.
Not a bad weekend all in all, unofficially at the moment, I think we might even have broken a couple of lap records!

Mixed fortunes.

Got a 2nd in the first race on Betty.

Was having a really good 500 National race with Lea dicing to the last lap when Buster seized.

The next 500 event was only one race later so I went out on Betty and managed a 4th.

Catch up.

We can't start racing today until after the local church service has finished.

Harry and Steve are trying to out polish each other.

Vanni and I are enjoying having the chance to talk properly without rushing around between races.

Good day all round.

We have had a good day.
One or two things not quite right, so although I tried my best, only managed to get 2nds for the rest of the afternoons races.

Sorted out a couple of niggles and hopefully will have made progress for tomorrow.

No racing until after the Church service.

lots of delays.

We have only managed two races so far.

I won the 350 and was pipped into 2nd in the 500 by Lea.

Its after 4pm already and we have another three races to squeeze in today.

Wet again!

Just done morning practice on both Betty and Buster.

Its raining again!

And the weather forecast looks like it is going to stay wet for today's races.

Tommy we miss you...

Here we are at Lydden near Dover.

Vanni is on his own as unfortunately Tommy is back at home in Denmark.

Its cool this evening but still dry.

Andy has drilled the spindle now so we can adjust the forks more easily.

Video overview of CEZ Mali Jawa test.

Real Classic Editorial

I was asked to write a bit about comparing racing Classic / Modern machines by Martin Gelder for the RealClassic website.

Click here to read it: Classic versus Modern

Enjoyable trip.

We had a great time testing the Jawa - it was fantastic to get under the lap record in the first session on track.

I smiled inside my helmet, and thought to myself - "I do exactly what it says on the tin" - I think Libor senior was happy with the test.

Later in the day, I got to spend a few laps together out on track with Libor Junior - 'Fast Vincent' as he's known.

I think everyone is looking forward to the first round at Assen in a couple of weeks - I'm going to race for the win, not riding to keep out of the way, like last time when Mark Lawes' championship title was at stake.

Good test all round.

We have had a fabulous day.
Assessed the tyre choices.
It is also good to see Jan up and about after his accident; in fact it was good to see the team again.
The circuit is nice and smooth in places now but the paddock is all dug up while the new facillites are built.
On the way back to Prague now and then home.

Good day so far.

Things are going well.
Done plenty of laps.
Sorted a small niggle that could have ruined a race, so that's good.

Still glorious sunshine, a bit too hot really.

Sunny, sunny day

... and a sunny, sunny colour scheme.

Everything is going well.

The Mali Jawa have a new team sponsor for the 2008 season, CEZ Group, a Czech electricity company.

The bikes look really good in this bright orange, really smart.

Done two sessions already, the bike feels good, and have gone a second and a half under the lap record - mind you, there is new tarmac in a lot of places so I think the track will ride a lot faster now.

We are really here to test tyres, as the ones we used last year are no longer available.

Off to Czech out the resurfaced Most track

Just going to meet up with the Mali Jawa European supermono team today.
We are having a days testing at Most tomorrow; not just to check out the bike, and the newly refurbished circuit, but also to meet up with the team again.
I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Photo by Mariska Grob.

Anglesey CRMC round 2 overview