Ten Kate Racing has completed two days of testing at the TT Circuit Assen on Monday and Tuesday. Stefano Manzi and Jorge Navarro were able to perform important test work at the team’s home track ahead of the third round of the World Supersport championship.

Despite the sun shining brightly on both days, it was pretty chilly at the TT Circuit Assen. Under dry conditions, Ten Kate Racing was able to make the best use of the available track time and the team tried several things to make Manzi and Navarro even more competitive in the coming race weekends.

After a two-day test at Donington Park was rained off, it was important for the riders to get back on their Yamaha YZF-R6 machines ahead of the team’s home race at the TT Circuit Assen. With this productive two-day test, both the riders and the team are optimally prepared for the Dutch round of the World Supersport championship.

As usual, Ten Kate Racing has planned something special during the World Superbike event in Assen. The plans – in collaboration with Motonext – will be announced very soon.

Stefano Manzi: “After a month we could finally get back on the bike and I’m really happy with how this test went. We tested a lot of important things during the last two days and I am happy with the things that we found. Now we wait for the race weekend in Assen in just over two weeks’ time, and we need to see if track conditions will be different. I want to thank the team for their efforts and I’m looking forward to return to racing soon.”

Jorge Navarro: “I am very happy with the test because I think it has been very productive. Every time I went out I tried something different, that helped us to gather a lot of information and find the things that I like. It was also helpful to make longer runs, which I can do now because my fitness has improved. I am still in the recovery process but I already feel better than during the first two rounds. We still have some weeks to prepare for the race weekend in Assen, I am looking forward to continue our work and start racing again.”

Kervin Bos – Ten Kate Racing team manager: “Two days of testing in Assen are over and I think we got the most out of both days. We want to thank the TT Circuit Assen immensely for making the track exclusively available for a day and thank the KNMV for allowing us to participate in their track day. Both riders are slowly but surely becoming one with the bike, on both sides of the pit box a lot of progression has been made in shorter runs, longer runs and qualifying mode.

Stefano was fast from day one while we could see from Jorge that – despite his injury – he is getting fitter. I expect both of them to start very strongly in our home race: it has shown once again that they both really enjoy riding in Assen and that the bikes are doing very well. We always hope to bring something special to Assen, more on that later.”

The third round of the FIM Supersport World Championship will be held on the weekend of 21-23 April at the TT Circuit Assen.