Simeon leads all the way

From Team Alstare Suzuki

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavier Simeon won the third round of the 2008 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup at Monza Sunday after leading the race from start to finish.

Simeon started from the third row of the grid but made a superb start and was third going into the first corner. It was just as well that he was so far up the field, for behind him a rider had crashed braking for the turn and then skittled 10 riders and their bikes!

Simeon then controlled the race from the front and ran out the winner by over two seconds, with Matej Smrz (Honda) second and Alessandro Polita (Ducati) third.

Simeon’s win also moved him into first place in the championship, with a 15-point lead over Polita.

"I made a very good start and was either second or third going into the first chicane," Simeon said. "While I was on the brakes, I heard a strange noise, so I made the bike a bit more upright. I was lucky that I wasn’t taken out by any of the falling bikes.

"I did the first two laps cautiously, to make sure there wasn’t any oil on the track, before forcing the pace. After that it was a pretty easy race really."