STEVE TAKES THIRD AT LE MANS

Steve rode to a fantastic third place for Team Kawasaki France in the 30th Annual 24 hour race at Le Mans in France today (Sunday) which incorporated the first round of the FIM World Endurance series.

Along with fellow teammates, Gwen Giabbani (France) and Julian Mazuecos (Spain) Steve qualified the bike in fifth place for the start of the gruelling 24-hour race, which began with the traditional Le Mans start whereby the riders run across the pit lane to pick up the bikes and get underway.

From the start the French Kawasaki team slotted into third place but after the first two hours of racing dropped back to fourth.

The team pitted every hour to refuel and change riders each of the three spending at least an hour on the bike.

During the hours of darkness the team moved back into third place setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 613 with a time of 1m 39.86s. As they closed in on the final few hours team Kawasaki France frequently exchanged second place with the #1 Suzuki team but were unable to maintain their position to the chequered flag and Steve rode the bike across the finish line to secure third place at the end of the 817th lap after a long and demanding 24-hours.

“We had a few problems early on,” said Steve. “But we knuckled down and gave the chase and tried to put the pressure on Suzuki but could not quite make it. I have really enjoyed it, the weather has been fantastic but really I would have like to have been on the top step of the podium!”

The next round of the World Endurance championship is at Albacete in Spain on May 5, this time over six hours, but prior to that Steve will return to British Superbike action with Team AIM Yamaha to contest round three of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship set for Silverstone at the weekend (April 29th).

Full results from 24 Heures Moto