SERT on podium at Le Mans

From Team Suzuki

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team riders Vincent Philippe, Barry Veneman and Guillaume Dietrich finished third in the Le Mans 24 Hours - round one of the 2009 World Endurance Championship that finished Sunday afternoon.

The reigning World Champions completed 716 laps on their GSX-R1000, 11 laps behind winners Yamaha Austria and five behind runners-up Honda France at the 32nd running of the event, which attracted more than 92,000 fans.

The team had held a 16-second lead briefly just past the two-hour mark but lost it when heavy rain fell. They then circulated in second place for the next 20 hours after a small crash, but remounted to keep their podium hopes alive.

Suzukis filled six of the top 10 positions with the Junior Team Suzuki squad topping the Superstock class and placing fifth overall.

Le Mans Results:

1: YAMAHA AUSTRIA RT - JERMAN / MARTIN / GIABBANI (YAMAHA) - 727 laps.
2: HONDA FRANCE - PLATER / CHARPENTIER / LAGRIVE (HONDA) - 722.
3: SERT - PHILIPPE / VENEMAN / DIETRICH (SUZUKI) - 716.
4: RT RACING TEAM - DEVOYON / CHEVRE / JOND (SUZUKI) - 709.
5: JUNIOR TEAM SUZUKI LMF - FORAY / TANGRE / BULLE (SUZUKI) - 703.
6: QATAR ENDURANCE RT - NAIMI /SHINJO /DELHALLE (SUZUKI) - 703.
7: RAC 41 CITY BIKE - JUNOD /GANTNER /HOUSSIN (SUZUKI) - 696.
8: GSR KAWASAKI - DA COSTA / FORAY / MOREIRA (KAWASAKI) - 695.
9: TRT27 - PRULHIERE / ANDRIEU /GNEMMI (SUZUKI) - 692.
10: BOLLIGER TEAM - SAIGER / MUFF /PENZKOFER (KAWASAKI) - 689.