Tom Sykes admits he has chosen the perfect time to make his return from injury as the Superbike World Championship arrives in Germany. The Kawasaki rider was forced to sit out both races at Silverstone after injuring his ankle in the Superpole session but the five week summer break came at the right time for him, and he is raring to go at the Nurburgring.
“My ankle is getting stronger all the time, so I will be ready for Germany. The Nürburgring is definitely one of my favourite circuits – one of two or three I particularly like on the current calendar. It is quite unique in some ways. It goes up and down a lot, it is quite flowing and I like those sections where the corners roll into each other. When you get the ‘Schumacher S’ right-hander nailed it is very rewarding as a rider. Also, in the fifth gear right kink you can make up quite a bit of time. That part takes quite a bit of courage in some ways and the circuit in general lends itself to my style of riding a bit more than some. I hope I can pick up where we left off before my injury at Silverstone.”
Sykes was also forced to miss the BSB meeting at Brands Hatch, leaving Joan Lascorz to uphold Kawasaki honours alongside Broc Parkes. The Spaniard achieved a best finish of seventh and feels the experience has made him well prepared for the challenge of the Nurburgring.
“It was interesting to race at Brands Hatch in the BSB series recently but finding the right bike set-up was a little more difficult compared to some other circuits. It was not so easy to control on the gas but steering and going in the corners was very good. It was just a very intense circuit and I think it was good preparation for the Nürburgring race, which we come to this weekend. It gave me the chance to practice more on the bike and feel good for the German race. We will see how things go in Germany as this will be my first time there on a Superbike, but I think if we can have a good period of practice we can make good results.”
