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Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) achieved another career ambition in 2012 when he won his first race in the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, but since his 1-2 at the Dutch circuit the flying Frenchman feels the only thing that has deserted him and his team recently is good fortune.

Now seventh in the championship, having been as high up as third, Guintoli knows he and his bike have what it takes to fight for podiums on a virtually regular basis, as he explains. "It seems since the start of the year - even at the end of last year when I was feeling fit and feeling good - that the bike suits me and the team is working well with me. For 2012 nothing has changed, just a bit more weight on the bike. Not much else has changed. From the start of the year we have shown a lot of speed, especially in Superpole."

But it's not speed but simple fortune Sylvain feels is missing. "In the races - and it is easy to say that it is just down to bad luck - but we have hardly had any luck since the start of the year. In Australia we got on the podium in the first race, then - my fault - I crashed in race two. Then at Imola I was very fast then Leon Haslam took me out in race one and I hurt myself, so even though I did race two and I was not feeling good at all. Assen was fine, good, a very good weekend with a first and then a second place."

After that however, things started to go slightly off beam. "In Donington somehow the Ducatis were not as strong as we expected, so we got an eighth and a fifth but I was always with Carlos and the other Ducati guys. In America I did struggle, could not find the pace and we had trouble with the qualifying tyre during Superpole 3. Over the length of the race I was struggling too much with the speed of the bike and could not compensate. I was fighting with guys and could not get rid of them. In Misano I had a lot of speed but then I crashed in Superpole, which for sure would have been a first row otherwise. In race one I got involved in a contact with Carlos, ran off and restarted last or not far from it, then ran off again. In race two I started well and said OK, I am going to settle, but then Melandri took me out. There were a lot of races where we could have scored a lot of points but our luck has been ridiculous, incredible, and it has to turn around at some point, because it is not right!"

Sylvain's main consolation is the fact that despite the twin cylinder machines having an extra six kg to lug around in 2012, his bike package and team is top notch, elements which have helped him climb to victory already. "I am not worried. I suppose that it has been better to have had the pace and no luck than have only got some results just based on luck." He continued, "I can use the bike really well. I am also making some much better starts. I find it hard when fighting with the other guys, because the strong points of our bike... you cannot really use them because you get stuck with them. When you are on your own you can do what you know what you can do with that bike. So from now on I must get every holeshot and head off on my own, or something! In Superpole I always go off on my own, I do not like to ride with somebody in front because it does my head in!"