SUPERSTITIOUS Carl Fogarty today blamed the fickle finger of fate for his South African disaster.

The reigning world champion had warned that the omens were stacked against him in the build up to the opening round at Kyalami.

And, when he crashed out of the second race having finished third in the opener, his words started to ring true.

Fogarty was worried that the previous two championship-winning seasons had exactly mirrored those of 1994 and 1995, which were followed by a terrible year with Honda.

He said: "It was a disaster. This is so much like 1996 all over again. It's all coming round again -- it's unbelievable.

"This is going to be the longest year I've ever had. I've already got a mountain to climb. But I'm still better than any of them out there -- that was obvious after those races.

"But I need a bit of luck as well."

Fogarty had switched to a different sized front tyre after the front race, when he was running wide at some corners.

And, after swerving to avoid 'one lap wonder' Haruchika Aoki early on in the second race, the switch to a 17in front tyre appeared to pay off as he hauled his way back from eighth to fourth place, setting two new lap records in the process.

But he had already suffered a couple of scary moments with his front end and, on the 11th lap, he slid off into the gravel.

There were also suspicions that the engine of Pierfrancesco Chili in front was leaking oil, as Troy Corser had also run into the gravel earlier while trailing the Itaian's Suzuki. Typically, Fogarty made a desperate attempt to rejoin the race but the gear lever had snapped and the brake line was severed.

Fogarty added: "It was own fault really. I should have known that I had a problem with the front end and rode round it to finish fourth.

'But I thought I could win it because it was there for the winning.' Japanese wild boy Noriyuki Haga was a comfortable winner of the second race on a Yamaha, with Texan Colin Edwards in second.

That result was reversed in a thrilling first race to leave both riders leading the championship with 45 points and Fogarty trailing by 29 points.

RESULTS: RACE 1: 1. Edwards (Honda) 43'21.141 2. Haga (Yamaha) +0.133 3. Fogarty (Ducati Infostrada) +0.225 4. Corser (Aprilia) +7.847 5. Chili (Suzuki) +10.012 6. Lavilla (Kawasaki) +31.194 7. Aoki (R&D Bieffe Ducati) +36.190 8. Fujiwara (Suzuki) +39.922 9. Bostrom (Ducati Infostrada) +43.431 10. Borja (NCR Ducati) +44.398 11. Meklau (Gerin WSBK Ducati) +56.485.

RACE 2: 1. Haga (Yamaha) 43'22.756 2. Edwards (Honda) +6.482 3. Chili (Suzuki) +11.967 4. Corser (Aprilia) +16.974 5. Aoki (R&D Bieffe Ducati) +30.232 6. Lavilla (Kawasaki) +33.596 7. Borja (NCR Ducati) +37.141 8. Bostrom (Ducati) +38.020 9. Fujiwara (Suzuki) +38.306 10. Antonello (Aprilia) +50.984.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after round 1): 1. Haga 45 2. Edwards 45 3. Chili 27 4. Corser 26 5. Aoki 20 6. Lavilla 20 7. Fogarty 16 8. Borja 15 9. Bostrom 15.

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