New boy Cluzel finding WSS a rewarding challenge
Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) has surprised many of his peers with his pace from the outset of his rookie campaign in the FIM Supersport World Championship. Few should have been surprised, however, given his pedigree and his proven race-winning ability in other classes. A podium rider in the 250cc World Championship and a Moto2 race winner and podium placer, Cluzel arrived as a very experienced 23-year-old when he joined the ranks of the PTR Honda team in the winter months, albeit very close to the start of the season.
Jules, from Montluçon in France, has enjoyed himself so far and has some great insights into what a modern-day Supersport bike at this level really feels like. "For me I was very surprised with the feeling on the Supersport bike," said Cluzel of his early experiences on his CBR600RR. "At first I felt it had more power and every rider likes this. Also, I had a good feeling with the chassis. I expected more movement and to feel the bike to be a lot heavier. But it was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed the feeling of riding this kind of bike. It feels more like a race machine than a road machine. I tried some standard bikes but they are not the same. Moto2 bikes and WSS; they feel like different bikes. You get a lot of feedback on the WSS bike."
So far Cluzel has scored a win at Monza, went third at Donington and most recently a close second behind championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) at Misano. His latest podium put him second in the championship, 22-points behind Sofuoglu, which is not a bad place to be for any rookie. But also not enough for anybody like Cluzel who is a racer first and foremost. When asked if it was a surprise to be second at this point of the season he said, "Surprise... yes and no. Every time I am starting a championship I am not like an optimist. I am every time a pessimist. Every time is like this. I am really happy to be second but it is also my target to be on top on this championship. Every time I go on the bike I want to do my best. So I am happy to be second but I want also to try to catch Kenan for the lead. So I will try."
For Cluzel and his competitors, the next stop is Motorland Aragon, in Spain, with raceday on 1 July.
