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SBK, Melandri: "At Phillip Island my dream came true"

The rider from Ravenna on the podium in Race 2: "In the finale I had no more tyres or energy". Rea? "He manages the race better than anyone else"

SBK: Melandri: "At Phillip Island my dream came true"

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It was a long-awaited goal, but in the end, Marco Melandri succeeded. He was on the Race 2 podium with the others at Phillip Island, as excited as if it were his first time. Instead, this is his 50th career podium. He gritted his teeth in the finale, getting the better of the Yamaha ridden by Alex Lowes.

“It was a truly complicated race. I had started well, but then I lost a few positions, dropping back behind Brookes. I pushed as hard as I could, consuming the tyres and almost all my energy.”

Was tyre management the unknown?

“Actually that is the way it was (he smiles). When I was in front I maintained my pace without exaggerating. Maybe it wasn’t the winning move, because in the last three laps I struggled. This podium is definitely the one I had been dreaming of. The right answer after what happened yesterday.”

If you had started from the front, what would have changed?

“Starting well would have been enough. Unfortunately, I wore the tyres too much trying to close the gap behind the riders ahead of me. Maybe I could have lapped a half second slower, but I didn’t know if there would be time or not to close the gap.”

In the finale, could you have taken a shot at the win?

“Two laps from the end, when I was in fifth place, I was quite angry. I had been in the lead for many laps and I wanted to bring the podium home. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes and I was no longer in the condition to come out of the last turn and attack.”

Can this Rea be beaten?

“He is very fast and well-rounded. He manages the race better than anyone else. For me, this aspect is anything but simple. I races like I rode in qualifying. Today I was unable to maintain his pace, but I had to ride a race at the limit.”

In terms of speed, are the Ducati and Kawasaki so different?

“Our bike is very fast on the straight. In the slipstream, on the other hand, we struggle a bit since, unlike the Kawasaki, we are unable to overtake.”

Was there a bit of pressure?

“To be honest, I never felt any. Maybe only Friday morning in FP1. After that I always had peace of mind, both yesterday and today.”

Can we say that your dream came true?

I would say so. After the race yesterday, the podium was difficult, especially in terms of tyre management.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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