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SBK, Sykes: “Rea provokes me, I want to go in 2017"

The English rider, and Rea's main rival, wants to change team and has Ducati in his sights

Sykes: “Rea provokes me, I want to go in 2017"

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Tom Sykes, 2013 Superbike World Champion with Kawasaki and current factory rider with the green team was, up until the start of last season, the undisputed number one rider on the team, having ridden for them for several seasons. Then Rea arrived, dethroning Sykes and beating him on track at almost every opportunity, practically forcing him into a role of ‘second rider’.

At the start of the current season, Tom tried to fight back, like in Thailand where he won, leading to controversy with Rea and turning him into a real enemy, under the same roof.

There have been no shortage of insults in the garage and, aside from the race results, the thing that has annoyed Tom the most is Rea’s irreverence and less than delicate comments: “Sykes is crazy”.

Here at Imola the fire is still blazing and Tom knows what he must do: “I want to win the two races, I like this track because it’s old style. Dangerous in certain places but that doesn’t scare an Englishman like me, actually it excites me.”

How did first practice go?

“Honestly we have a lot to do, it’s not easy to find the right setting here and we’re working to to reach the best compromise. I’m confident, like always. Here the right wrist counts more than the bike.”

Do you prefer wet or dry races?

“It makes no difference to me, but I have to say that Imola in the way is dangerous and selective but in that way I’m sure I could win.”

How is your ‘relationship’ with your teammate?

“There are times in which there’s respect, and I am always civil and educated. But I only have to finish in front of him for him to get really angry and then he provokes me. But that’s ok, I’ll be a gentleman until the end but I won’t give him anything, not even a smile.”

So it’s a really stressful situation…

“He started it and I won’t let anyone walk over me.”

There are those who say that next year you might be wearing a red shirt, what do you think?

“Maybe yes, because I’m speaking with various teams for 2017: I want to be in a team with less hostility and reciprocal respect between the various parties. I don’t want special treatment but I don’t want to be the spare wheel either.”

If your new team happened to be the factory Aruba Ducati squad, would you go alone or with company?

“Right now I am in contact with Bologna, but if I were to move, I’d like to bring my crew chief Marcel Duinker, who I know well, he knows how I work and knows my method, we’re close and have won the title and races together.”

What can you predict for the races?

“I am still with Kawasaki and I want to win for Kawasaki; this team and this company have given me a lot and I want to repay them.”

Translated by Heather Watson
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