BIAGGI TAKES DOUBLE PODIUM

2007-09-09 16:32
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi took podiums in both 24-lap World Superbike races at the Eurospeedway Lausitz today with second and third places.

Yukio Kagayama was unable to take part due to a hand injury sustained yesterday: His wrist was badly swollen this morning so he went to the Clinica Mobile this morning for a check-up. X-rays of his right wrist revealed that he had a fracture of his fifth metacarpal and so was unable to race.

Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) led the charge in the first race, but later on Haga took advantage of his opponent's tyre problems and pulled away finishing the clear winner 11 seconds ahead of Biaggi.

Bayliss and Haga once again charged off into the distance at the start of race two but this time Bayliss was in no mood to surrender: He took the chequered flag just over a second ahead of Haga with Biaggi third and series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth.

Max Biaggi - Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 3rd:

"It is always good to be on the podium though I'm a little disappointed that I didn't finish higher up in race two. It was a much faster race and the two guys in front kept up a better pace and I could not catch them. After two days of weather that was not so good, it was a relief that it didn't rain today. Our set-up for the dry wasn't so bad but maybe it wasn't quite as good as Bayliss or Haga today. I had a few little problems with the bike missing gears a couple of times and so I modified my riding to get round the problem. Both my starts today were not so bad but once the I lost touch with the leader in race one and the two of them in race two, it was too late."

WSB Results:

Race 1:1 Haga (J-Yamaha), 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 4 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 5 Rolfo (I-Honda), 6 Laconi (F-Kawasaki), 7 Nieto (E-Kawasaki), 8 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 9 Toseland (GB-Honda), 10 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda).

Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Haga, 3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Toseland, 5 Corser, 6 Xaus (E-Ducati), 7 Rolfo. 8 Nieto, 9 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki), 10 Muggeridge.

Championship Points:1 Toseland 375, 2 Haga 334, 3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 322, 4 Bayliss 296, 5 Corser 254, 6 Xaus 177, 7 Lanzi 173, 8 Rolfo 166, 9 Neukirchner 130. 10 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 116.

SUPERSTOCK 1000:

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavier Simeon spent the whole 14-lap Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race in agony but defied the pain to take fifth place.

The problem with his left ankle once again flared up and after a couple of laps he was struggling to maintain his place and concentration to finish less than two-and-a-half seconds behind the race winner Didier Van Keymeulen (Yamaha).

Xavier Simeon- 5th:

"That was a very hard and difficult race. After a short time my ankle really started hurting and it was hard to keep concentration. On the straights I had to take my left leg right off the footpeg, just so that I could change gear. Yesterday the conditions were wet and we weren't going so fast and we all had to ride much more smoothly so it was not such a big problem, but today was dry and we were riding much harder and faster and that meant that I had to work my leg a lot more. It hurt a lot but I was determined to keep going as best I could. In the end, I don't think that fifth place is so bad, especially considering that I was not so far off from the leaders."


Superstock 1000 Results: 1 Van Keymeulen (B-Yamaha), 2 Canepa (I-Ducati), 3 Corti (I-Yamaha), 4 Aitchison (Aus-Suzuki), 5 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Tode (D-Honda).

Championship Points:1 Baiocco 136, 2 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 127, 3 Canepa 125, 4 Aitchison 121, 5 Corti 112, 6 Dionisi 93.

Source: Team Suzuki Press Office

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