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By Gianmaria Rosati
There's no denying that most of the attention at Misano today was focused on just one person, Marco Melandri. The Ravenna rider was back on a Superbike after a long absence, and this first day of testing was something of a homecoming, a return to the only place Marco was born to be, on the track, riding a race bike.
At the end of the day, a certain tiredness could be seen on “Macho”'s face, times have not been released but it appears they were around two seconds higher than those of Giugliano. His satisfaction is clear, right from his first words: “getting back on a Superbike has been really emotional, like a real first-time experience. Perhaps this return is even more special because I've spent a lot of time with bikes, and when you lose something that you care about, you understand its real value”.
How did you find the Ducati?
“In terms of riding it, I've basically had to start from scratch; I remember some things, but not how quickly you reach the next corner for example, and the bike's reactions are very different to those of the production Panigale that I've been riding recently to build up some mileage”.
Did you have any particular problems?
“I expected some difficulties, and there are some, but I'm pleased and ready to work. The bike has a really powerful engine, and I like its range of use, something I always look for considering my riding style. I'm still struggling with a few things, like the riding position, but I'm changing my way of riding a little with each exit and so the needs change too”.
What do you need?
“Mainly to ride; this evening I'll speak with the team and we'll decide which direction to take over the next two days".
Have you found any defects with the Panigale?
“Right now that would be the rider (he laughs), in the sense that I need to regain the automatisms and also the twin-cylinder riding style, which is new for me. I didn't, and don't expect anything amazing from these tests, I just hope to improve in many aspects”.
You're back to Pirelli tyres after the Bridgestones in MotoGP, how's that?
“At the start, they are very forgiving tyres, so I'd say they're ideal when it comes to building confidence”.
