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The Althea BMW Racing Team returns from the summer break, ready to compete at the Lausitzring
Rome (Italy), Tuesday 13 September 2016
Rome (Italy), Tuesday 13 September 2016
After a six week summer break, the Althea BMW Racing Team is fully prepared to head back to the racetracks and compete in Round 10 of the Superbike World Championship, taking place at the Eurospeedway Lausitzring in Germany this coming weekend.
The team is pleased to confirm that rider Markus Reiterberger, forced to sit out the US round after sustaining a compression fracture of the D12 vertebra during the second race at Misano, will be back in action this weekend along his SBK team-mate Jordi Torres, and STK1000 representative Raffaele De Rosa.
The Italian squad, with Torres and De Rosa, had a chance to test at the Lausitzring in late July, with positive results. Unfortunately, Reiterberger was unable to take part in those tests but he already benefits from having solid knowledge of what is a home track for him.
The Althea BMW team will be pushing to score as many points as possible during this final phase of the season, comprising four SBK rounds and three STK1000 races. In the SBK standings, Torres lies seventh (155 points), while Reiterberger positions 12th (68 points). In the STK1000 championship, De Rosa currently leads the way with 82 points and will be working hard to increase his small but significant 5-point lead this coming weekend.
Jordi Torres
?I can honestly say that I cannot wait to get back on track considering that, apart from the odd test, we haven?t ridden since mid-July! I?ve had chance to rest up but it?s also been important to keep up with my training so that I?m prepared for the final phase of the season. I?ve been riding enduro, motocross, pit bikes, more or less everything! It will be important to do well this weekend, Markus is back to race at his home track and it?s also the home round for BMW of course, so we?d like to score some good results. It was useful to test at Lausitzring recently, so that I arrive there now with at least some frame of reference. My goal remains the same: to give it my all, continue to learn and bring home as many points as possible in these last eight races of the 2016 season.?
Markus Reitenberger
?I must say that, despite the enforced break, I?m feeling really good. I?m really looking forward to Lausitz as it?s my home race of course, with many fans and my family, friends and sponsors all coming so it should be great. The last weeks have not been easy for me. It?s the most serious injury I?ve had so I?ve done a lot of physio and have worked with the doctors to be able to come back as soon as possible, after 2.5 months. I don?t feel exactly as I did before the crash but I feel good and think I can do two good races this weekend. First I have to get the feeling back with my BMW and then, step by step, improve over the course of the weekend. I?m a little bit nervous, and it won?t be easy after such a long break, but I?m really looking forward to it.?
Raffaele De Rosa
?Finally we?re getting back to work? It?s almost as if we?re starting over the beginning, like a new season even if there are only three races left to run. The summer break has been almost longer than the winter break and I cannot wait to start up again. In the last tests we completed in Germany we worked really well and this gives me confidence. We?re ready to recommence battle with Mercado and the others; it?s important to continue to work hard and to remain focused for these last three rounds?.
Track Information:
Country: Germany
Name: EuroSpeedway Lausitzring
Length: 4.255 km
Pole position: right
Turns: 7 left, 6 right
SBK RECORDS: Best lap ? Haga (Yamaha) 1′38.622 (2007). Superpole ? Bayliss (Ducati) 1?37.623 (2006).
Weekend schedule (CET):
Friday
9.15 ? 10.00 ? STK1000 Free Practice
10.15 ? 11.15 ? SBK Timed Practice 1
13.30 ? 14.30 ? SBK Timed Practice 2
16.00 ? 16.45 ? STK1000 Free Practice
Saturday
08.45 ? 9.00 ? SBK Free Practice
10.30 ? 10.45 ? Superpole 1
10.55 ? 11.10 ? Superpole 2
13.00 ? Race 1
14.15 ? 14.45 ? STK1000 Qualifying
Sunday
9.25 ? 9.40 ? SBK Warm-up
9.50 ? 10.05 ? STK1000 Warm-up
13.00 ? SBK Race 2
14.20 ? STK1000 Race