Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli to be strong,
they’re two good riders and I know from experience
that the Aprilia is a good bike.
Is there still bad blood between yourself and
Marco Melandri following Jerez?
Not necessarily. I know that Marco is an aggressive
rider, sometimes dirty and we have raced together
now for 3 seasons so we have got a rivalry but just
like any other rider - I want to beat him on the track.
What did it mean to you winning the ‘Irish
motorcyclist of the year’ award earlier this year?
It was an accolade I wasn’t expecting. Michael
Dunlop won 4 TT’s this year so I really expected
Michael to win the award this year. It was nice to be
recognised in my home country for our achievements
last year.
What’s the best racing memory of your career so
far?
My double victory in Monza will always be a special
memory. I got my first World Superbike race win and
a few hours later I backed it up with a second win. A
double victory was something very special that day.
There are rumors you might be making the switch
from racing World Superbikes to Moto GP? Any
secrets you’d like to let the readers in on?
I signed with Suzuki to fight for the World Superbike
championship but Suzuki’s return to MotoGP was
always in the back of my mind. It’s a foot in the door
with Suzuki so I’m definitely thinking about 2015
and getting an opportunity to move to MotoGP with
Suzuki. First and foremost my aim is to become 2014
World Superbike champion and it’s important not to
lose focus on the job in hand.
Which round of the 2014 championships are you
looking forward to most?
I always enjoy Portimao, I’ve won there on a few
different manufacturers and it’s probably my favourite
circuit. It’s like a motocross track covered in tarmac
so it’s one I really look forward to every year.
What’s it going to take to bring home the world
championship title in 2014?
Last year the final half of the season was consistent,
the first half not so with 5 non-finishes. I need to
have more consistency throughout the whole season
and less non-finishes if I am going to become World
Champion this year. T
/EugeneLavertyOfficial
@eugenelaverty
@eugenelaverty
66 | FreestyleXtreme
Eugene leads the
pack at Philip Island
2014