SERT Wins World Endurance Opener
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has won the opening round of the 2011
Qtel World Endurance Championship - the 24-hour 75th-Anniversary
Bol d'Or at Magny Cours in France.
The GSX-R1000-mounted reigning World Champions crossed the line at
the 3pm finish with 814 laps completed; six laps clear of race-long
rivals SRS Kawasaki (808 laps), BWM Motorrad France 99 (803) and
Bolliger Team Switzerland (802).
SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray and Anthony Delhalle
dominated from the start - even though first rider off at 3pm on
Saturday - Philippe - was still feeling the after-affects of a
heavy fall in the morning warm-up that meant the team had to use
its number two machine for the race.
At the five-hour mark, SERT
had clocked-up 173 laps; one more than SRS Kawasaki and BMW.
Through the night, the Suzuki trio opened the gap to three laps
over SRS, with the Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki climbing into
the top three places when BMW broke a chain.
From sunrise on Sunday, SERT used its experience to gradually
increase its lead - to seven laps at one stage - plus time its
pit-stops precisely to bring the GSX-R1000 home to an emphatic home
victory for the Le Mans-based squad.
It was the team's
fourth-consecutive victory at the Bol d'Or and Philippe's seventh,
which equals the record number of rider wins.
Bol d-Or Results:
1. SERT - Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray, Anthony Delhalle 814
laps
2. Team SRS Kawasaki - Julien Da Costa, Gregor Leblan, Olivier Four
808 laps
3. BMW Motorrad France - Sebastien Gimbert, Damian Cudlin, Erwan
Nigon 803 laps
4. Bolliger Team Switzerland - Horst Saiger, Roman Stamm, Jerome
Tangre 802 laps
5. Honda TT Legends - Steve Plater, John McGuiness, Keith Amor
796 laps
6. National Motors - Eme Jonchiere, Luc De Carolis, Etienne Masson
794 laps
7. YMES Folch Endurance - Bisch Ribalta, F Vallcaneras, Jose M Luis
Rita 789 laps
8. Yamaha France GMT 94 - David Checa, Kenny Foray, Matthieu
Largrive 785 laps
9. Metiss JLC Moto - Christoph Michel, Marc Fissette, Emman Cheron
781 laps
10. T Motors Events Bo - Mathieu Gines, Vincent Bocquet, Emilien
Humeau 779 laps
