Although Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama have been to Misano before, when they start the first practice session this weekend everything will be completely new and different as the track has been drastically altered. Previously the track used to run anticlockwise, but now it has been turned round and runs clockwise. Max has had to learn quite a few new circuits this year, but this time Yukio will also be in the same boat.
Unfortunately for Max and Yukio, some of the their rivals tested the new layout recently and so will have a considerable advantage. Not only is the track now running in the opposite direction to before, but a number of further challenges await them. Some of the run-off areas begin with extra tarmac (designed for car racing) and do not have ripple strips at their commencement, making finding the limits of the track difficult. Also, in the recent tests, many riders commented on the very bumpy nature of the track and that will make getting a good bike set-up crucial. This year Max and Yukio have been racing and developing the new K7 at the same time and that is always extra challenge, but one that they are both attacking with their usual zeal and vigour.
Max Biaggi:"Well for me, it’s another new track to learn. My method is always to learn the track first and then start pushing hard. I understand that the new Misano is very different and also may be a bit bumpy, so I think that getting a good bike set-up is very important. Also, Misano is another ‘home’ race and there will be many fans there, so I want to do well. That does not mean that I feel any extra pressure, because the only pressure I have is what I put on myself. I always go out to do the best I can in every race and even though I know this is a tough championship, with many very experienced specialist Superbike riders, I will fight until the end of the last lap."
Yukio Kagayama:"I have not seen the new layout, so this will be a new experience for me. Normally, it does not take me long to learn new tracks, but I hear this one has some different problems (some run-off areas and bumps) and I will have to discover them for myself in the first practice. It is true to say, that this season has not been very lucky for me so far. I have had more crashes then I expected and some of them have been quite painful. But, at the moment, I feel pretty good and I hope the second half of the season will be much better then the first. There has been a lot of work to do, quite a few things to test and we are still carrying on with the work. This is part of my job and I want to do it well, improve the bike and take some podiums."
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