Voltcom Crescent Suzuki departs Aragon directly for Assen’s ‘Cathedral of Speed’ this week as the World Championship hosts back-to-back races in Western Europe.

After a difficult weekend in Spain, Alex Lowes is looking forward to returning to the Dutch track and the scene of his debut WSBK podium on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki – the number 22 rider claimed second position in the day’s second race with a 2.222 second margin from victory. With two race’s worth of data and experience with the new Marelli electronics in the bank from Aragon, Lowes is keen to get down to work at a track he knows so well as his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team continue to develop the new system.

Randy de Puniet is just as eager for the up-coming visit to the TT circuit and the chance to progress with the GSX-R1000 on the technically challenging track. Having fought a determined battle in last Sunday’s race two – overcoming many of the issues that had plagued the Frenchman over the course of the Spanish weekend – Assen brings the opportunity to maintain the momentum.

A hugely popular track with both fans and riders alike, the Assen TT Circuit’s 4,542m layout is famous for its high speed corners, providing breath-taking racing and an electric atmosphere that keeps the spectators and championships coming back year-on-year. Located 170kms from Netherland’s capital Amsterdam, in the northeast of the country, the track is made up of 6 left and 11 right-hand corners, with the circuit regularly accommodating a 100,000 strong crowd.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki will be ready for action at 11:15hrs local time (10:15BST) on Friday 17th April, for the opening 45 minute timed-for-qualifying free practice, with the afternoon session scheduled for 15:00hrs (14:00BST). Saturday’s track action starts at 09:45hrs (08:45BST) with the final timed practice and a 30 minute non-timed practice at 12:30hrs (11:30BST) before the Superpole sessions commence at 15:00hrs (14:00BST). Sunday’s races begin at 10:30hrs (09:30BST) and 13:10hrs (12:10BST) respectively.

Alex Lowes:

“I’ve always enjoyed the Assen TT Circuit. Last year it was the first track that I knew on the WSBK calendar and it gave me my first podium on the Suzuki! I’m looking forward to getting back out there, it’s such a fast and technical track but I’ve been training hard and can’t wait to put the GSX-R through its paces again. We had a tough weekend in Spain with the new electronics but we will continue to work hard and get the bike back to what we know is capable.”

Randy de Puniet:

“For me, Assen is one of the best tracks on the calendar, even with the modifications year-on-year. It is a very technical track so even if your bike is not perfect, you can still be at the front with a good chassis and suspension. The GSX-R is good for that so I’m really confident and looking forward to the Assen races. We started from zero at Aragon but with the data from last weekend to develop our understanding of the new systems we can begin to push forward again.”