Veteran rider Giovanni Bussei was back in Superbike World Championship action last weekend at Valencia, in the second of a two race programme with the GMB Sterilgarda team which has been supported by Alfa Romeo and GQ Italia. Recalling bygone eras the former Superbike Stalwart used a new Alfa Spider to trailer his Ducati 999F06 bike, which carried "Alfa 159" decals, to the two races where it was looked after by the Brescia-based team with direct assistance from Ducati's factory technicians.

Bussei's performance at Donington Park a fortnight and a half ago wasn’t perfect, but he did finish both races in the points on his Superbike return. However on the Valencia track - the scene of round four of the Superbike series last weekend - he was tackling a circuit where Ducati goes fast, and one knows Bussei better than Donington Park, so there were all the conditions to do well in place. “Donington was not easy at all," said Bussei in the run-up to Valencia. "I got some difficulties, after so many time without riding a superbike. We got some problem also but at the end we finished in the point zone both the race and it wasn’t bat at all, even though a rider always wants to win. I expect Valencia will be better, because I know the track and I feel more secure on my Ducati. I don’t have any kind of pressure on me so, you know, there are all the conditions to do well."

Day one at Valencia was difficult for Bussei, who was victim of a tumble without consequences in the final part of the session. For the rider from Piedmont some lack of feeling with his Ducati was still an issue, “Anger, a lot of anger for a tumble I could avoid. It was my fault, I was driving fast with the tyres pretty worn out and without the right set-up to go fast. Unfortunately today it has been a problematic day, I had difficult at the first part of the bends and some problem with the hard tyre that we use for the race. I hope tomorrow won’t rain because we have a lot of work to do.
 

"On the contrary, if it will rain, I’m sure to be on the first 16 who is going to race the Superpole." The second day saw Bussei splashing around the wet track to qualify in a very solid eleventh place. “I don’t know what to do. I really don’t like driving on the water," he said as he prepared for his row four start the next day. "I hope tomorrow will be dry because 23 laps on the wet will be a nightmare. However I got the third row and it’s not too bad, considering that I tumbled again during the free practice and my left arm is painful. I did my best time during the first part of the session, then everything has been useless. Now I wait the race where I will try to do the best I can."

For Bussei the two races that made up round 4 of the 2007 World Superbike Championship were both finished in the points: however he suffered both in the first race and in the second one, where a tumble obliged him to re-start from the last position. It was a pity, because he was really confident in the race and his Ducati motorbike was very competitive. "In race one I started bad, I got some positions but I couldn’t find a pace I liked," said Bussei after recording 13th and 15th place finishes in the two races. "About the end of the race the feeling bettered and I finished increasing.  In race two I started well, I tumbled at the first bend due to the tumble of Muggeridge ahead me. I started again but I was last and I tried to close the gap as best I could. It’s a pity because the motorbike was ok and I could get better positions."