Spies Wins in Brno

Cycle News Staff | July 26, 2009

Yamaha’s Ben Spies cut the world championship lead to seven points with his 11th win of the season, and on his first visit to the Brno Autodrom in the Czech Republic.Showing no ill effects of being knocked down by Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) in the first race, Spies led from start to finish, but it wasn’t easy. Fabrizio stuck with him until being passed on the 14th lap by  first race winner Max Biaggi.Spies was hounded by Biaggi to the flag, but prevailed by .213 secs. Fabrizio made a late comeback to take third, .454 secs. back.With four rounds remaining, Spies has a seven point deficit, 319 to 329, on Ducati Xerox’s Nori Haga. Haga improved two spots on his race one finish to take a fighting sixth, at the head of four riders covered by six-tenths of a second.”It was not the best move in the world, but that’s how racing goes sometimes,” Spies said of the crash with Fabrizio that put him out of race one. “Michel was trying to apologize to me after the crash and I didn’t want to hear it. I was trying to tell him to use his head. Obviously I was not happy at the time.”Spies needed medical attention between races, saying, “The good people at the mobile clinic massaged, iced and taped my knee and got me ready to go,” Spies said. “The knee was tweaked pretty good, but I figured I could take the pain for 20 laps. They don’t get enough credit for the work they do.”When he saw Biaggi chasing him early in race two, he said he thought he might be in trouble.  “He’s so good here and he caught me quick. I knew I was going to have to ride mistake free in the closing laps. Max and the Aprilia were very strong and I had to brake ridiculously late and square off the corners to stay ahead of him.”As they had in the first race, the Hannspree Ten Kate riders finished in order, but further down the field. Jonathan Rea  narrowly beat teammate Carlos Checa of fourth.Then came Haga edging out Yamaha’s Tom Sykes, Sterilgarda Ducati’s Shane Byrne,, and Guandalini Racing’s Jakub Smrz.BMW’s Troy Corser also won a four-rider battle for tenth place.

Race Two:

1. Ben Spies (Yamaha)

2. Max Biaggi (Aprilia)

3. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati)

4. Jonathan Rea (Honda)

5. Carlos Checa (Honda)

6. Nori Haga (Ducati)

7. Tom Sykes (Yamaha)

8. Shane Byrne (Ducati)

9. Jakub Smrz (Ducati)

10. Troy Corser (BMW)