Biaggi Can Clinch at Imola

Max Biaggi and the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team can clinch the World Superbike title on Italian home soil at this weekend’s pair of races at Imola. With a 58 point lead over Suzuki Alstare’s Leon Haslam and a 49 point lead over Suzuki in the manufacturer’s standings, this weekend will likely determine the outcome of the two-horse race for the title.

If the four-time 250cc Grand Prix world champ Biaggi falters, he will still have two more races to wrap things up in France at the final round at Magny-Cours. “At Imola I will be a reckless calculator,” Biaggi said. “I'll battle without ever holding back but, at the same time, always bearing in mind the situation and the importance of every single point. Experience teaches me that, to win the World Championship, I need to be constantly focused, never leaving anything to chance. This is why, even more than the other weekends, it will be so important to find the best set-up right from first practice. Imola is a track with a few too many bumps, so we'll have to work hard to stay in the positions that count.”

An interesting note about the World Superbike Championship is that only one non-native English speaking rider has ever won the title and that was Frenchman Raymond Roche in 1990. Every other titlist has been American, British or Australian.