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Assen WorldSBK: Fores now disappointed to be off the podium

It is a measure of quite how transformed the Barni Racing Ducati team is in 2018 that their lone rider Xavi Fores was disappointed by a fighting fifth place, a maximum of eight seconds from the best factory racers in the world.

Even leaving day one almost two whole wins’ worth of points better off better of in points than the next nearest independent rider, Toprak Razgatlioglu, is now a secondary consideration for one of 2018’s top riders and teams.

Fores new aim is a race win, and everybody thinks him capable of it. After a fast crash in the previous round in Spain, and the obvious disappointment that brought, he got his front row Superpole mojo back a track that Ducati’s do not excel at in the modern era.

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So far Fores has been fourth, third, second, fifth, third, a faller and now fifth again. In other words, 11 points ahead of even Tom Sykes in the main classification.

“I had a big drop in the front tyre, especially the right side, and I almost crashed two or three times in turn three, so I had no more push to fight for the podium,” said Fores of why his possible podium became fifth.

“It was a shame because my feeling was good until halfway through the race. I was behind the group, calm, waiting for the final laps. But the drop in the front was unexpected because it was so big. It was difference between me and other riders, so this was the key in the end.”

Fores  was ready for another top three until then. “For sure if I did not have this on the front I would be fighting for the podium. My feeling on the bike was so good. But after some mistakes my feeling was going down a bit, so I decided to close the gas a little bit in order to finish. After the mistake of Aragon, the points are needed.”

Fores is aware of his different his 2018 season is to previous ones, even thought they were impressive even then for a privateer rider.

“The positive is that we are fighting for the podium in each race,” affirmed Fores. “The result today was a little bit worse than last year but if you compare the gap from the first to me, it is less of a difference. We are closer. If you think that we are also fighting for the podium again today before this drop, I think that our level is good and we can keep it.”

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