Dutch TT - Round 7 - MotoGP
Assen - Saturday 25th June 2005 - Race

Alex and Troy seventh and eleventh in Assen

The changeable weather conditions in Assen played a cruel joke on Alex Barros
today, who chose a rear tyre less suited to the kind of track conditions
experienced after the heavy rainfall which had been around until shortly before
the MotoGP race. The Brazilian therefore had serious grip problems and was never
able to ride at the kind of pace he had found in practice. Troy Bayliss finished
eleventh after a weekend in which he never had enough feeling with his Honda.

Sito Pons - Camel Honda

"We certainly hoped for more today, especially with Alex after he was constantly
amongst he quickest, even if not in absolute time, but in terms of pace at
least, which is the most important thing for the race. After the start, when I
saw it was hard work for him to get past riders in front of him, I understood
that he had a problem or two. Troy took a result more in line with what he
showed in practice; he's still not completely comfortable with the bike and
finds it hard to get results. We will continue to work hard and try and get the
pair of them in the best possible shape as to show their real potential."

Alex Barros - Camel Honda -  7th

"Today's race was frankly terrible for me, because I was never able to ride as I
would have liked and as I had done up to that point. Unfortunately the tyre I
chose, and the one which went well yesterday, wasn't suited to the asphalt which
was a lot colder after the overnight rain and the storms this morning. Instead,
in the race I found myself without grip on the rear tyre. I chose not to take
the harder tyre that Rossi, Melandri and Edwards probably used, I think Hayden
maybe too, because it didn't work for me in practice. This was an erroneous
decision. I was hoping that with a few laps heating up it would have worked
better, but instead I was never able to ride at the pace I did on the first two
days, not even when I managed to get past the first group of riders and had a
clear track ahead of me."

Troy Bayliss - Camel Honda -  11th

"What can I say about this race, it was average considering recent races, and
despite giving everything once more I was unable to ride as well as I can. I'm
obviously not happy, because there's not much difference for me between eleventh
and twentieth, but there's not much else I can do apart from continuing to work
hard with my head down and bring and end to this situation. I'm happy to be
going to Laguna Seca now, a track I really like, and where I hope we can make
some much-needed  steps forward."