        While the eyes of the world are on Spa Francorchamps for this weekend&rsquo;s 24 Hours, preparations are underway in Japan for the next World Endurance round, the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours, which returns this year after a two-year absence. And so it is that KRT, in the shape of Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam, two thirds of the team that will head out on track to defend its 2019 title, is currently out on track at the Suzuka circuit, working on the set-up of the ZX-10RR ahead of the classic Japanese race, scheduled to take place on 7 August. All as they await Jonathan Rea, the third member of the team that won the 2019 race, the squad not even having to field then Puccetti Racing rider, Toprak Razgatlioglu. Kawasaki&rsquo;s 8 Hour announcement  With a post on its Instagram page, KRT has announced the line-up with which it will defend its 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours win, or rather SBK factory riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes plus BSB rider Leon Haslam. The post reads: &ldquo;Kawasaki has confirmed that it will officially participate in the 2022 Suzuka 8 hours event. As a reigning champions, a full factory program is being put into place after two years without the event being held due to the worldwide Covid pandemic. The KRT riders, engineers and mechanics will support Japanese Kawasaki engineers and technicians ready to fight for success in the World&rsquo;s most challenging motorcycle endurance race&rdquo;.             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK (@krt_worldsbk)      The KRT Suzuka test post  On its own Instagram page, the KRT team has published a post from Suzuki with this caption: &ldquo;We can't stop racing! Here we are in Suzuka, Japan. Working together with our Japanese Colleagues at KMC and Showa, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam working to find the right set up for our ZX-10RR, for the most challenging race of the Year! 8 Hours Suzuka race is back, here we go!&rdquo;             Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK (@krt_worldsbk)      Translated by Heather Watson TT Supertwin, a change afoot for Hickman: he&rsquo;ll race with the Paton       

Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam are in Japan to work on the ZX-10RR ahead of the race on 7 August, as they await Jonathan Rea

EWC: Kawasaki prepares for the Suzuka 8 Hours

        While for many the month of December simply marks the final run up to Christmas, for some Superbike teams it&rsquo;s a great opportunity for a final test, so as to start the new year with some initial data to analyse. This is the case for the Kawasaki team that, after losing its crown as six-time constructors&rsquo; world champion, will be back on track tomorrow and Friday (along with BMW and Honda) for an interesting three-day test. Rea: &ldquo;Happy to be back on track before Christmas"  One man looking to exploit these tests as he sets out to build a first-rate 2022 is definitely Jonathan Rea who, after losing the 2021 title at the very last round, cannot wait to retaliate. &ldquo;I am really happy to get back on the bike this side of Christmas because we can try to carry on the good feeling we finished with at the end of the season. Jerez is always a good test circuit to go to because we have a lot of data from there. It is also a circuit that has never been the strongest for us so we can work in some weaker areas&rdquo;. It seems the team has plenty to test, and Rea wants to focus on this work, without worrying about the lap times. &ldquo;We expect to have some items to test, which is really good because KMC and KRT have been working very hard on some new chassis items and electronics. We hope to improve the feeling of our bike, work together in a good way and the target will be to give good solid info to all the engineers try to improve the overall package.&rdquo; Meanwhile, Alex Lowes needs to assess his physical condition but is keen to get back to work after the problem he had with his right shoulder at the Mandalika round. &ldquo;Obviously this test is important to select the direction we need to go with our package for 2022. Whilst I won&rsquo;t be 100% fit yet, our performance isn&rsquo;t our focus at this time. The crew have prepared lots of options for me to try. I am really excited to see what we can improve. If we get through all these items not only will it be a busy test, but it will be job done - this is our only aim.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Bautista 2021 "crash king"       

The Northern Irishman is keen to get back on track: "Useful to carry on the good feeling we finished with at the end of the season". Lowes still run-down: "I&rsquo;m not 100%"

WorldSBK, Rea ready for the Jerez test: “Curious to try some new things”

        The Catalunya round is done and dusted, with Jonathan Rea having scored the Superpole Race win at his team&rsquo;s home track. Attentions now turn to Jerez, where teams are racing this weekend, and where the Northern Irishman will continue to battle it out for the title with Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is just one point ahead as things stand.&nbsp; Eyes on the prize  Rea has won three previous races at Jerez, most recently in last summer&rsquo;s Superpole race. Heading into round ten, the Kawasaki rider comments: &ldquo;We ride a lot in Jerez in November, January and February, when the track is very cold. So, when the track is hot and greasy it&rsquo;s a little bit different. Last year we rode there when the season restarted after Round One in Australia. So, we have good data from last year&rdquo;. His memories of the Andalusian track are positive and take him into what will be a very important round for the championship: &ldquo;I think the problems we faced at Barcelona we need to really fix and make better for the races in Jerez. There is definitely work to do.&rdquo; Lowes not 100% fit  It will be a different weekend for Alex Lowes, who won&rsquo;t be fully fit after his Race 2 accident at Barcelona: &ldquo;I got clipped by another rider and luckily I got away relatively unscathed from the crash. I have fractured my hand but otherwise I feel quite good&rdquo;. The Englishman sustained a fracture at the base of his second metatarsal on his right hand, but after some check-ups and consultation with specialists in Barcelona, he&rsquo;s decided to give it a go: &ldquo;I feel like I can try and ride at Jerez. My neck is a little bit stiff but I will work hard on my recovery these next three days, with Albert our physio, and be in a position to try to ride. It is not an ideal situation but I will go to Jerez and the plan is to try to ride&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK Jerez: Davies calls a conference, retirement ahead?       

The six-time world champion needs to improve his feeling with the Kawasaki, while Lowes aims to ride despite his physical condition

WorldSBK Jerez, Rea: “We need to solve our Barcelona issues”

        The KRT Provec team arrives in France after a brief trip to Portugal. The green team completed a test session at Portimao before travelling on to Magny-Cours for the SBK round, so Johnny Rea and Alex Lowes are more than ready for the Nevers event. And their Ninjas too. We&rsquo;re talking about a track at which the six-time champion has lifted the championship trophy on more than one occasion, so his memories can only be positive: "It is a circuit where I have a lot of special memories and where we have been many times in the past, so we have a lot of data". The Portuguese test proved useful to the Northern Irishman: "Thankfully we had a full day of really nice weather at a Portimao test last week to keep working with the set-up of our Ninja ZX-10RR. The bike set-up for Magny Cours is very similar to Portimao. It has a lot of heavy braking area but also changes of direction which really suit our bike.&rdquo; &nbsp;To win, always. As usual.  The Cannibal&rsquo;s goal remains the same: "Now, with six rounds remaining in the championship we are past the halfway point and the next races will come along in very quick succession. The target is of course to win and to build some positive momentum into the last part of the year, which is going to be very intense. But I am excited, very motivated and can&rsquo;t wait to get to France.&rdquo; While team-mate Alex Lowes comments: "I have some good memories from last year on the Kawasaki, with the podiums in rain conditions. I am hoping it is dry this time because we didn&rsquo;t get any dry laps last year in Magny Cours, so I want to try the Ninja ZX-10RR around there in the dry&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu and Rea look out for Redding: Scott likes Magny-Cours       

Johnny adores the French track: "I have special memories and the set-up is similar to what we used at Portimao last week&rdquo;. Alex Lowes: "Last year I was on the podium in wet conditions, but I hope for sun this time&rdquo;

WorldSBK, Rea: “Magny-Cours suits the characteristics of the Ninja”

        We wanted to choose a blurry cover image as a way of depicting Johnny Rea&rsquo;s performance aboard the Kawasaki at Most. During the latest SBK round, the current champion appeared flat, his Ninja demonstrating something of a limp. But we might be wrong of course. And we&rsquo;ll soon find out, because Navarra is almost upon us and this will be a good opportunity for the number 1: "Another new circuit for us. Unlike Most we have actually had a test there, a couple of months ago. I enjoyed the track but it seemed quite bumpy then&rdquo;. The Cannibal continues: "It seems the circuit have addressed some of the problems we faced. My rhythm and pace was pretty good there so I am quite curious to see, with everybody on track, how competitive everyone will be. I feel that with our Ninja ZX-10RR we can be strong. The idea is to start on Friday with a base set-up but also factoring in some ideas we tried at a previous test at Barcelona&rdquo;. KRT wants not just a good weekend, but a winning one  Johnny finishes with: "The aim is to have a really good race weekend&rdquo;. And, knowing him, this means a return to winning ways, the rider having last triumphed at Assen, or rather two rounds ago, an event at which he won three out of three no less. On the contrary, Alex Lowes has been off the podium for a while, his last top three result dating back to Donington Park. The number 22 rider hopes to be competitive in Navarre: &ldquo;My target is to get back on the podium after a tough few races&rdquo;. The English rider has clear ideas: "At the test we did there we were fast and I had a good feeling with the bike. I believe there will be some good passing places and the racing is going to be really close. I&rsquo;m ready for the challenge!&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK: Navarra ready for a Rea - Razgatlioglu - Redding battle       

Johnny and the Provec Kawasaki team completed important test sessions in Los Arcos: "I liked the track, I think we&rsquo;ll be strong with the Ninja&rdquo;. Alex Lowes: &ldquo;My aim is to get back on the podium"

WorldSBK, Rea considers Navarra: “Unlike Most, we’ve already ridden there”

        Jonathan Rea really likes racing in the Czech Republic, and has even called his pet dog &ldquo;Brno&rdquo;. But this weekend the Superbikes will visit a track that does not belong to the Abraham family. The Motodrom Most is a new circuit for everyone: &ldquo;It is always exciting going to a new circuit", comments Rea. "I would normally study previous races, either MotoGP or past races of WorldSBK, but even after scouring the internet for footage it is very difficult to find race coverage of Most&rdquo;. But the Northern Irishman knows what he needs to do: "I will do some laps with my bicycle and do a track walk with my team. The layout looks nice, some fast and flowing corners so it is exciting to learn something new. The base set-up of our bike is in a really good window and on Friday it will be very important to find a good set-up and a rhythm straight away. We do not have much time in practice but I enjoy that - being under pressure". Lowes, reconfirmed and quietly confident  Alex now has a new Kawasaki contract in his hands, the agreement with the Provec team already signed. A positive for him, as he can now focus on Most with a clear mind: &ldquo;Most is not a track that I know much about, to be honest. I will do some more homework now before we get there. I had a chance to look at some onboard laps on my phone. I have also been trying to get some information from some guys who have been there&rdquo;. But the Brit could enjoy the new Czech track: "The track itself looks like a different layout to many others. It is going to be a good challenge and one of the really positive things about the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR is that it is such a good base, it works pretty well everywhere. I want to come out strong for this new challenge at Most". Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Hungary ready to return to the 2022 calendar       

Johnny isn&rsquo;t worried about a new track, an unknown to almost everyone. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll cycle or walk around it, learning new things&rdquo;. Alex Lowes: "I&rsquo;ll do my homework before I get there"

WorldSBK, Rea all set for Most: “I enjoy being under pressure”

Of his 104 SBK victories, Johnny Rea has scored twelve at Assen. Which means that the number 1 rider likes the Van Drenthe circuit and is keen to return for the first time since 2019. The Northern Irishman and team Provec KRT head to the University with the aim of closing the gap to Toprak Razgatlioglu and Yamaha, the green bike&rsquo;s main rival right now.  So how will the six-time champion go about curbing the Turk&rsquo;s fury? Firstly, by harnessing his significant experience of the Dutch track. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to race at Assen&rdquo;, comments the Cannibal, &ldquo;It is a really unique layout, a high-speed circuit with fast corners and quick changes of direction&quot;.  For Johnny, the &lsquo;cathedral of speed&rsquo; is one of the best: &quot;It&rsquo;s one of the nicest and most flowing circuits on the calendar. I have great memories there and the fact that there will be lots of fans is a huge bonus because Assen and the fans go together perfectly! I had some nice battles there in 2019 and I am looking forward to more this year. I hope we can capitalise on it being a good circuit for me and the Ninja&rdquo;.  Johnny&rsquo;s goal? To win of course. Alex Lowes thinks ahead to 2022   And as for Rea&#39;s goal, we already know what the answer will be: &quot;The target is to win but we need to work smartly and calmly to put us in the best possible shape to compete come the races.&rdquo;  Alex Lowes is hoping for a contract renewal, which means he needs to do as well at the Van Drenthe track as he has in recent races: &ldquo;Assen is a fantastic track and one of my favourites on the calendar. My first experiences of it were from my time in BSB. It is also a place I claimed my first WorldSBK podium at in 2014&rdquo;.  But it&rsquo;s 2021 now and the Lincolnshire rider has his mind firmly focused on this season: &quot;As we didn&rsquo;t race there last year this will be my first experience of Assen on the Ninja ZX-10RR. The target for this weekend is to fight for the podium - and have a lot of fun doing it with my &lsquo;Team 22&#39;&quot;.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK: Laverty and RC Squadra Corse to miss the Assen Round 

Johnny: &quot;I want to win. But we&rsquo;ll need to work in a smart and calm way&quot;. Alex Lowes: &quot;The Dutch track is one of my favourites&quot;

WorldSBK, Rea: &ldquo;Assen is a good track for me and the Ninja&rdquo;

As we await the upcoming Assen round, WorldSBK enjoys a short break. So far, the production-derived series has completed four rounds, at Arag&oacute;n, Estoril, Misano and Donington. With thirteen races scheduled on the calendar (all of which will hopefully play out), this means we&rsquo;re not yet mid-way through the championship.  And yet the overall standings are already very telling, the world title currently contested by three riders, or rather Toprak Razgatlioglu, Johnny Rea and Scott Redding. The Turk has 183 points, the Northern Irishman 181 and the Englishman 117, the Ducati rider appearing somewhat out of breath compared to the Yamaha and Kawasaki flagbearers.  And just behind them is another Brit, Lincolnshire rider Alex Lowes. In his second season with team Provec KRT, Lowes hopes to keep his seat with the Akashi team. The number 22 rider currently lies a long way behind Razga &ndash; 69 points behind in fact &ndash; but he&rsquo;s only three points from Scott Redding.  First up, Assen  Alex&rsquo;s contract is up at the end of the season. The various parties have already been talking of course, and Lowes knows that if he wants to keep his place with Kawasaki, he&rsquo;ll need to be fast, of course, but in the right places and at the right time. At Assen, for example.  In Holland, Johnny Rea will be wanting to respond to Toprak Razgatlioglu&rsquo;s latest attacks. With a view to the standings, sure, but also to buck the psychological trend of Donington, as crashing on home turf and relinquishing the championship leadership to the Turk is not something that the Cannibal appreciated.  And this is why the Van Drenthe track and the Dutch spectators are in for a show. And this is why Lowes will need to do better than he has recently. The men in green were very pleased with the triple podium he scored at Arag&oacute;n, though less happy with subsequent results, although the Englishman did do well at Donington. If he wants to stay where he is, Alex will need to step it up.  Lean on me mate  We don&rsquo;t know whether Johnny is in real difficulty and so need to wait for the next rounds. But Razga is clearly a strong rival who is more than up to the task. Considering that Redding finds himself in a similar situation to Lowes, we can also put Scott in the group of riders battling for the title.  And yet the Aruba rider will have to get there on his own. Do you think Michael Ruben Rinaldi would help him win the title? Mmm, no. While Andrea Locatelli would help Toprak, we&rsquo;re sure of it, also because there&rsquo;s a contract in it for him.  And so to Lowes and Rea. The two get on, they respect each other. Ok. Only at the 2020 Phillip Island round, when the championship knew nothing of the imminent lockdown and all that has gone on since, did the younger rider outdo the expert. Since then, he has played the supporting role.  HRC looms  In the upcoming battles, Sam&rsquo;s twin needs to get between the number 1 Ninja, the number 54 R1 and the number 45 V4 R. Without a doubt. If he does, he&rsquo;ll receive a document to read and sign. Otherwise, it&rsquo;s possible that the rumours surrounding his contact with HRC become a reality.  Meanwhile, the constant complaints of Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam are anything but constructive. The Japanese manufacturer is the only one yet to score a podium this season. How long can they continue to suffer? The riders will respect their commitments, but...  ... they are already thinking ahead to 2022. Another possible CBR RR-R candidate is Chaz Davies, not particularly competitive with Go Eleven and the independent Ducati right now. And Tito Rabat isn&rsquo;t pleased with his performance with team Barni. The two are not shy about voicing their complains. But have you ever seen Alex point the finger at the bike he&rsquo;s been riding or is riding? No, and Kawasaki knows this.  Translated by Heather Watson  A memorable weekend for Aprilia, winners in BSB and MotoAmerica 

Alex will be tasked with &quot;protecting&quot; Johnny Rea as he fights for his seventh consecutive title. If he&rsquo;s able to hinder Razgatlioglu and Redding&rsquo;s progress, the Englishman may well continue with Kawasaki

SBK, the strategic importance of Lowes: his future and career on the line

As natives of Northern Ireland and England respectively, Johnny Rea and Alex Lowes are both British, which means the Donington Park round is the home event for both Kawasaki riders. The green pair head to the UK in first (Rea) and fourth (Lowes) place in the standings.  It&rsquo;s an important weekend for them both. The Cannibal will have to defend himself from the inevitable attacks of Scott Redding, and the Ducati bulldog won&rsquo;t be alone. Michael Ruben Rinaldi will be equally keen, as will Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu.  Keen to repeat his 2019 triple victory, the six-time champion has high hopes for the weekend: &ldquo;I am really excited to go to Donington because we missed it last year. We had a great weekend there in 2019 and it is a circuit that I really enjoy riding at. From past experience it is also a good track for the Ninja ZX-10RR&rdquo;.  The Ballymena rider can&rsquo;t wait to race in front of the fans: &quot;Our first home race in two years and we will have some fans trackside, which is nice, although it would have been good to have a packed Donington. I hope to make a really strong weekend and work from Friday morning to understand the tyre options Pirelli has brought. At the recent Navarra test we tried some chassis options and we have a great understanding of the working window of the bike. I feel we really understood how we could get the bike to turn better and that will help us in some sections at Donington.&rdquo;  Lowes seeking confirmation   Alex&rsquo;s contract is up at the end of the year. Lowes is therefore seeking confirmation with team Provec KRT. And rightly so. The Englishman is determined to do well at Donington: &quot;It will be great to be riding in front of the British fans again. Coming up through the BSB series I feel a really good and close relationship with the fans here. The second thing is that I like the track, it has always been a fun track for me, and I have taken some good results there. This will be my first time trying the Ninja ZX-10RR at Donington and I am excited about it.&quot;  And the track could suit the ZX-10RR well in the Brit&rsquo;s opinion: &quot;It is a track that looks like it works well for the bike. Kawasaki has won plenty of races there and the target for me is to get back on the podium. The target is clear for this weekend. Get back on the podium like we started the year in Aragon and enjoy the whole weekend in front of the home fans.&rdquo;  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP: Razgatlioglu-Petronas, deal (almost) done 

Johnny is excited ahead of his home round: &quot;I like the track and we better understand the Ninja frame now&rdquo;. Alex Lowes is also confident: &quot;I&rsquo;ve scored great results there, the ZX-10RR too&quot;

WorldSBK, Rea: &ldquo;The Donington track is good for the Kawasaki&rdquo;

On 20 and 21 April, the Provec KRT team will be back on track with its factory riders Johnny Rea and Alex Lowes. The green team, based in Barcelona, will be complete once more as it carries out important work on the two riders&rsquo; SBK Ninjas in Arag&oacute;n.  it is the same Motorland circuit that will host the 2021 championship season-opener, the Alca&ntilde;iz weather promising one of two extremes, either freezing cold or sweltering heat. Although this week it even looks as if it might rain, almost unheard of in the region.  If this is the case, the test will provide the number 1 and 22 riders with a chance to test wet set-ups for the first time. Until now, when they have seen rain, like at Jerez in January, the factory pair have preferred not to ride. But now that the championship is so close, every exit they make has different weighting.  &nbsp;Rea and Lowes: &quot;So enthusiastic, we can&rsquo;t wait to get back in the saddle&quot;   Johnny and Alex are chomping at the bit, well aware that the new ZX-10RR is even more competitive and fast. The competition might be tougher than ever, but Provec KRT (once again) appears to be the most battle-ready.  The six-time champion is keen to start: &quot;I&rsquo;m really happy, as we&rsquo;ll continue to work with what we had at the Barcelona test. I was comfortable on the new Ninja during that test. In terms of electronics, we still have some elements to test, but it&rsquo;s all about putting the pieces of the puzzle together. We&rsquo;ll take what we learned at the last test and work to our full potential, carrying our simulations to prepare for the opening Motorland round&quot;.  The &quot;production-derived&quot; Lowes brother is highly motivated: &quot;I can&rsquo;t wait to test. We&rsquo;ll continue with the work programme we began at Jerez and then continued at Montmel&oacute;. I feel good physically and want to get a lot of laps in. We need to work on corner exits and I also need to perfect my riding style&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, has Rins not learned his lesson after last year? 

The factory Provec team prepares for the season-opener with a two-day test at Motorland. Six-time champion Rea: &quot;We&rsquo;ll put all the pieces of the puzzle together&rdquo; &nbsp;

SBK, world championship warm-up for Kawasaki at Arag&oacute;n

        Alex Lowes can finally return to the track. After a training incident forced him to rest up and miss out on recent testing alongside team-mate Johnny Rea, the British Provec Kawasaki rider is now ready to get back on his Ninja ZX-10RR. Test sessions have been planned by the team for the #22 rider, who will be out at Jerez de la Frontera on 19-20 March. The new Akashi weapon made its debut at the same Spanish track in January in fact, and is perhaps the readiest of the bikes entered into the 2021 SBK championship. While Alex was recovering, six-time champion Rea moved ahead with development and is pleased with the parts brought to the garage. Now it&rsquo;s Lowes&rsquo; turn and the Brit can&rsquo;t wait to ride the bike he will compete with as of Arag&oacute;n, in May. Angel Nieto booked by HRC  The factory Honda team has reserved the Jerez de la Frontera track for some additional pre-season prep. Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam "will host" Lowes and Kawasaki over the two-day test, during which everyone hopes for warm and sunny weather. HRC will then hold its official presentation at the Barcelona track, where the Dorna test will take place, almost all teams set to take to the track on that occasion. Almost all, because team Kawasaki Puccetti has decided not to take part for example. The championship photos will be taken at other locations. Translated by Heather Watson Whatever happened to: Ben Bostrom       

Following his injury and subsequent recovery, the Provec Kawasaki rider will test at the Angel Nieto circuit on 19-20 March. HRC will also be on track with Bautista and Haslam

SBK, ‘catch-up’ test for Alex Lowes at Jerez

        The start of the championship still looks to be something of a mirage for Superbike teams, but March is still an important month in terms of testing. Kawasaki will kick things off, on Thursday and Friday, with a two-day test at Portimao. The Portuguese test has been confirmed despite the fact that Alex Lowes is unable to attend, still recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained while training last month. Rea will be joined on track by Isaac Vinales, team Orelac&rsquo;s entry for 2021. Rea will be the only Provec representative in attendance then, and he is keen to get to grips with the new aspects of the ZX-10RR, also considering the limited track time he&rsquo;s had so far due to bad weather at recent tests. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to ride again - confirms Rea &ndash; especially during these strange times. At recent tests, we have already tested some new ideas with power characteristics from the engine although the weather conditions were not 100%&rdquo;. Johnny outlines the path to follow as he and the team prepare for the season-opener, set to take place on 9 May at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. &ldquo;The main thing we have to do at this test is confirm things on the engine side and then fix our gearbox ratios. We aim to keep building speed and keep building confidence&rdquo;. Lowes: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working to return as soon as possible&rdquo;  Alex Lowes will not attend the test, and so his next outing with the latest Akashi creation will have to wait. &ldquo;I am working hard on my recovery with the doctors in Barcelona so that I can join them at the track as soon as possible. Of course, I cannot wait to ride my bike again&rdquo;. Many have asked whether it is worth testing with only one of the team&rsquo;s two riders on track, but Guim Roda is clear on this point, underlining the difficulties involved in planning test sessions at this tricky time. &ldquo;We think this test is a very important one and it is not easy to organise &ndash; comments Roda - We planned it two months ago and it was already part of our development programme. We think it is very important to understand the improvements in different tracks, to make good conclusions and not get confused. All the efforts logistically, in human terms and economically, mean it is a good investment. We hope the weather respects us this time, and that Alex can return soon. It is a shame that Alex cannot do this test but he is not 100% to push on the bike, so we preferred to give him a little bit of time to recover.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Van Der Mark: &ldquo;I need some Yamaha characteristics on the BMW&rdquo;       

The Provec team will be on track on Thursday and Friday but only with Rea: &ldquo;I want to confirm the engine data&rdquo;. Alex: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working on my recovery with doctors in Barcelona&rdquo;

WorldSBK: Kawasaki confirms the Portimao test, but without Lowes

The KRT Provec team has provided the following update. The injury sustained by Alex Lowes is confirmed, the rider having hurt himself during a winter training session with the flat track bike. The English rider has &lsquo;damaged&rsquo; his shoulder, but only slightly according to the message. We do not know whether it is his right or left shoulder.  From what we have heard, doctors are suggesting that the SBK rider rests up for two or three weeks. So not too long, and fortunately so, because certain injuries are not so easy to recover from as we know.  The squad has not pushed #22 to take part in testing at the Angel Nieto circuit, in fact Johnny Rea didn&rsquo;t ride yesterday either. The green team knows that Alex Lowes will soon be back in the saddle, the episode nothing more than a small setback on the road to success.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, paddock rumours: Bradley Smith with Ten Kate 

The injury that the Kawasaki rider sustained while riding flat track appears less serious than first thought. KRT Provec prefers not to push #22, who will be back on his bike soon

WorldSBK: Alex Lowes to rest for two or three weeks following injury

        It was not the two-day test that most people were expecting, with very few riders on track and inclement weather that kept most of the WorldSBK teams inside their garages, engines off. Not even the factory Kawasaki Provec team headed out, and they will make up for this wasted day on Thursday 28 January with riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes. The Englishman doesn&rsquo;t appear to be overly concerned about the two lost days: &ldquo;Not going out isn't a big problem as, although the bike is new, we still have a lot of time before the start of the season. I&rsquo;m sorry for the team, as they made a big effort to bring various new elements here". Rea: &ldquo;A waste of money not to ride, but the regulation limits us&rdquo; "The new engine is key"  As the English rider confirms, one of the most important new features regards the engine: "We would have focused largely on the new engine, which differs from the last one. During the previous tests, Jonathan and I had the same impressions, which is a good thing in terms of our teamwork in preparation for the start of the season. There&rsquo;ll be more new elements that we&rsquo;ll test next time out&rdquo;. As for eventual wet rounds, season-opener Assen being one possible example, Alex already feels prepared: &ldquo;If there are wet races, I can be competitive. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;m an English rider, I like to race in the wet. I&rsquo;d prefer rain during a race than during a test". Translated by Heather Watson Pirelli, Barbier: &ldquo;The SBK calendar is great, it will be an interesting season&rdquo;       

Like almost all of the riders in attendance at the Angel Nieto track, the British Kawasaki rider did not go out on track during the two-day test due to the weather conditions

14 risultati per 'EN alex lowes'