Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes is now back to 100 per cent health after months of illness and is ready to step up to the plate at this weekend’s Misano WorldSBK round.
The Huddersfield rider had been suffering with an intestinal problem which was still affecting him even at Donington but 150 laps at the subsequent Misano test saw Sykes back on form and he believes he can challenge team-mate Jonathan Rea in Italy.
“We have been coming closer to where we want to be and at Donington we had a great performance, despite not winning race two. In race one we did what we had to do, and had good speed. In race two I got boxed in and it was not until lap seven that I got through. From then on my speed was really good,” said Sykes.
“I was very disappointed to miss out but luckily we moved straight on to the Misano tests. The boys kept working hard and I have to say I left the tests very happy, with a lot of information and mileage done. Considering my previous physical condition I was very happy to do 100 laps on day one of the tests and just over 50 on day two. Finally, I feel I am going to Misano ready to step-up my game and enjoy it more, focusing on getting more points and overall performance.”
Misano is a happy hunting ground for the Kawasaki pairing. In all, Rea has recorded four previous wins at Misano and Sykes three. Between them they have won all six of the most recent races at the circuit, which is located on the Adriatic coast.
