Checa leaves Miller with ‘head held high’
The Althea Racing Team left with mixed emotions at the end of the Miller race weekend. On the one hand satisfaction with the team having demonstrated a pace equal to (or beyond...) that of the others, but on the other hand great disappointment, with Carlos Checa forced to retire from both races.
In Race 1, Carlos Checa was impeccable, making a great start that allowed him to quickly pass Biaggi and take the lead. Having held this lead for seventeen laps, in which he built a 1.6 second advantage over Max, the Spanish rider's bike unexpectedly stopped due to an electronic problem, depriving Carlos of almost certain victory.
Race 2 sadly came to the same bitter end, when Carlos was leading with a two second advantage, again over Biaggi. During the eighth lap Checa retired from the race, with Ducati citing a mechanical problem.
"Everything went well: the work, the preparation, the performance, the passion, the race, the team", said Carlos. "Yet unfortunately the results did not come. It's never happened before! We were strong and I will leave here with my head held high. I will immediately turn the page and concentrate on the upcoming tests in Misano and the next race, where I know we can do well. That's racing..."
Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing declared, "After the results seen in the sessions and, above all, the laps in which we led the races, we are of course disappointed with Carlos' results. However, as he himself said, we need to turn the page and once we understand the reasons for today's events we will concentrate on preparing for Misano, where we can do well. Our morale has taken a blow but Carlos' laps as race leader have given us confidence. There are going to be days like these in racing but we'll be back and fighting at Misano."
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