Round five of the World Superbike Championship took the teams to Monza, a high speed challenging circuit which is set in one of the most beautiful settings on the World Superbike calendar. The circuit is steeped in history and will always hold a special place for the passionate fans of all forms of motorsport. However none of the riders this weekend were interested in the circuits existing history. The weekend started how the last meeting in Assen finished with Troy Bayliss stamping his authority over the field with a blisteringly quick superpole lap to please the passionate Italian fans that had turned out to cheer on their heroes. Troy would have been delighted to see that his only main championship rival lining up along side him for the two superbike races was Carlos Checa in forth.
Over the last few seasons the premier class of Motorbike racing has all been a bit too nice. What it has been missing is a thrilling and gripping rivalry, something that can add that special ingredient that adds a little extra spice to the event. It happens in football when Arsenal play Manchester United, or in Rugby when London Wasp’s play Bath. A good rivalry is something that has really been missing from MotoGP for a while now. A good rivalry can turn a good race into a great race.
Last September it was announced that Max Biaggi would be replacing Troy Corser and riding for Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra in the World Superbike series, who would have thought it! Nearly a year on, Max is second in the series and just 43 points behind series leader James Toseland, and looking like a strong contender for the title. Max’s performance has been consistent from the start of the season with eleven podium places, including two race wins, four second places, five third places and three fastest laps.