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Nieto Storms to 5th from 16th on Grid
03 November 2008
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto started from 16th place on the grid and put in storming performances in both races at today's World Superbike Championship final round in Portugal to grab a pair of fifth places. But it was a mixed day for Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner, who crashed out of race one but then recovered to take a hard-fought-for fourth in race two. For Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama, it was a weekend to forget: He ended 15th in the first race and an even-more disappointing 23rd in the second. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) brought the curtain down on his remarkable WSBK career today with a pair of runaway victories. Carlos Checa (Honda) was second in race one, with Troy Corser (Yamaha) third. In race two, his team mate Michel Fabrizio was second with 'wild card' Leon Haslam (Honda) third.
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Bayliss Winds up Superbike Career with Double Win in Portugal
03 November 2008
Troy Bayliss wound up his Superbike career, and the 2008 FIM Superbike World Championship, with a spectacular double win in the final round at the Portimao circuit in Portugal in front of 91,000 spectators. The first race was totally dominated by Bayliss, who powered into the lead at the start and was never seen again. The triple world champion’s margin over his pursuers was just over two seconds at the flag but it had been much wider throughout the race. There was a terrific scrap for the remaining podium places, the right choice of Pirelli tyre making all the difference and in the end it was Checa who came on strong to take the runner-up slot from Corser. The outcome for fourth place was also uncertain until the flag, and it eventually went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), making his WSBK debut. Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) recovered well to finish fifth, ahead of another Spaniard, Gregorio Lavilla (VentAxia Honda) and Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda). Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) crashed out while trying to reach the leading group, while Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) both retired a few corners in after a clash.
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Alstare Debut at Portimao
27 October 2008
The fourteenth and final round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the newly built Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, this coming weekend. For Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner together with most of their rivals, it will be their first visit to the circuit. However, Ducati Xerox tested there last week and will have collected invaluable data, giving them a considerable advantage going into the event.
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New Algarve Circuit Brings Curtain Down on 08 WSBK Season
27 October 2008
The final act of the 2008 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship will be played out this coming weekend at the new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimao in southern Portugal. Built in less than a year at a projected total investment cost of almost 200 million Euros, the Portimao track is currently having the finishing touches put to it as it prepares for the big inaugural event, but it promises to be one of the most spectacular circuits in Europe and is a fitting climax for this year’s championships.
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Double Top - MotoGP & WSBK at Donington Park Again in 09
23 October 2008
Donington Park will be hosting the only World Championship motorcycle race action in Britain next year with the confirmation that both the MotoGP and Superbike events will be held at the Leicestershire parkland circuit. “We are delighted to be once again hosting these prestigious events,” said the circuit’s Chief Executive Officer Simon Gillett. “In the World Superbikes we will have one of the strongest ever British challenges while in MotoGP our local hero James Toseland will be taking on the world’s best led by the six times champion Valentino Rossi.” The ninth and British round of the World Superbike Championship will be held over the weekend of 26-27-28 June. Heading up a major domestic bid for honours in the production based championship will be twice British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne, riding the Sterilgarda Ducati.
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Orange the Colour of MX World, European and National Titles in 2008
08 October 2008
KTM MX riders have not only been successful at world and European level in the 2008 season but have also raked in a number of national titles in countries well known for their high level of competition and enthusiasm for the sport.
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Fonsi Back on the Podium
06 October 2008
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto had his best weekend of the year since the opening round in Qatar, by taking a superb runner-up spot in race one at Magny-Cours today. Fonsi had started from the front row of the grid and spent most of the race fighting with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and eventual race winner, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). Because of a problem with the gearchange on his number one bike, he used his spare bike in race two, but did not like the feel of it as much and could only manage eighth place.
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Superb Second for Fonsi!
05 October 2008
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto finally laid his Superpole demons to rest by setting the second quickest lap in the 16-rider Superpole shoot-out at Magny-Cours today. Fonsi had been fourth in regular qualifying, but stormed round the 4.411 kilometre circuit in 1:38.574 - a time bettered by just one tenth of a second by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner had a big ‘moment’ on his Superpole lap, but recovered to finish with the sixth fastest lap. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama was another to give the spectators and TV fans a sheart-stopping moment, but he too managed to stay on the bike and complete his lap. Unfortunately, he lost the best of half a second in the process and now faces a hard day tomorrow from fifteenth place on the grid.
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Haga Grabs First Superpole of the Year at Magny-Cours
05 October 2008
Noriyuki Haga’s exceptional end-of-season run of form continues at Magny-Cours this weekend as the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB rider powered to the Superpole for tomorrow’s French Round races with a new best lap of 1 minute 38.444 seconds. For the Japanese rider, who notched up a double win here last year and another double two weeks ago at Vallelunga, it was his first pole of the season and his sixth overall. The one-lap dash was a hard-fought affair, with the top 4 ending up in the space of three-tenths of a second and four different bikes on the front row from Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati and Honda. Lining up alongside Haga will be Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare), the Spaniard producing his best performance of the year, followed by championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) and Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).
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Fonsi Fourth in Changing Conditions
04 October 2008
The changing conditions throughout the first day of practice and qualifying disrupted proceedings so badly that no rider completed more than nine laps in the afternoon timed session. Qualifying had started dry, but after about ten minutes or so, the first rain shower fell, causing the field to scurry back to their garages. The rain abated for a while, but it wasn’t long before it started again and this time the showers were much heavier and hail also began to fall. The inclement conditions meant that no rider ventured out again and so the provisional grid was formed from the lap times set at the beginning of the session. Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama finished fourth and ninth quickest, with Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner tenth. Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) topped the standings today, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second and Carlos Checa.
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Alstare in Positive Mood
01 October 2008
Last year’s race at Magny-Cours saw young German Max Neukirchner drafted into the team as a replacement for the injured Yukio Kagayama and he acquitted himself well by taking fourth place in the first race. The debut might have been ever better if he had not tangled with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) when he was on course for a superb podium. A fall in the second race put a bit of a damper on his weekend, but his performance throughout the weekend proved that he was a star of the future.
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KTM riders prominent at MX of Nations in 2008
30 September 2008
Team USA successfully retained the MX of Nations at Donington Park Raceway in the UK on Sunday to conclude the MX season for 2008. Well supported by KTM riders, France and Belgium took the minor places.
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Neukirchner Just Misses Vallelunga Podium
22 September 2008
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a gritty pair of fourths in the 12th round of the Superbike World Championship at Vallelunga in Italy today. Despite not having a perfect bike set-up, the young German battled his way through both 24-lap races and took the best results he could as team mate Yukio Kagayama was disappointed to finish ninth in the first race, but improved to end race two in seventh. Third rider Fonsi Nieto also struggled, finishing 12th in race one, but improved to sixth in race two.
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Haga Takes Sensational Double Win at Vallelunga, Bayliss Crashes Out on Last Lap
22 September 2008
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) scored a sensational double win in the twelfth round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome in front of 82,000 spectators. The Japanese rider, who hadn’t won a race since Nurburgring, took the maximum points, while championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) wasted an opportunity to clinch his third title when he crashed out on the final lap of race 2, postponing the race for the title until Magny-Cours.
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Biaggi Will Ride the Aprilia RSV4
22 September 2008
Massimiliano Biaggi is to be Aprilia’s top rider in the Suberbike World Championship. The rider from Rome won three of his four MotoGP world championship titles with Aprilia. Now he has signed a contract that will see him back with Aprilia and riding the RSV4 for the next two seasons. Max Biaggi rode for Aprilia from 1991 to 1996. His spectacular adventure began with a first place in the European Championship and went on to record three world championship titles in the 250 class, with 23 GP wins and a total of 37 podiums.
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Pair of Fourths for Max on Difficult Day for Alstare
21 September 2008
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a gritty pair of fourths in the twelfth round of the Superbike World Championship at Vallelunga today. Despite not having a perfect bike set-up, the young German battled his way through both 24 lap races and took the best results he could. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama was disappointed to finish ninth in the first race, but improved to end race two in seventh. His team mate Fonsi Nieto also struggled today, ending 12th in race one, but made a much better job of it to finish sixth in race two.
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Second Row for Max and Yukio, Third Row for Fonsi
20 September 2008
After yesterday’s appalling conditions, today dawned dry and fine and it was down to business as usual for Team Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner. With no dry track time yesterday, the riders started to work with dry set-ups and learn how to ride the 4.110 kilometre Vallelunga circuit in the dry. The afternoon free practice was disrupted by a power cut and the twenty-five minutes or so lost because of TV scheduling for Superpole then took place after Superpole had finished.
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Atrocious Conditions Hinder Fonsi, Yukio & Max
19 September 2008
Today’s atrocious conditions hindered Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner, and none were able to finish in the top ten. Yukio was closest, with eleventh, with Fonsi fourteenth and Max nineteenth. The rain started in the morning and became heavier throughout the day and resulted in many crashes, including two by Max.
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Bayliss Homes in on Third World Superbike Title at Vallelunga
18 September 2008
This coming weekend will be the second time the Superbike World Championship makes its appearance at the Autodromo ‘Piero Taruffi’ di Vallelunga following the success of the inaugural 2007 event. Whereas last year three riders were still in with a realistic shout at the title, this time round the title run-in looks a little more clear-cut, with Ducati Xerox’s Australian rider Troy Bayliss in with a good chance of taking his third world crown this weekend.
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A New Graphic for Max Neukirchner Helmet
18 September 2008
From the SBK race that will take place at Vallelunga, the young rising star of home Suzuki Max Neukirchner will wear a helmet with new graphics, anticipating what Suomy will present at the next exhibition in Milan. ?A series of black lines, red and gold on a white background. Almost sober for Suomy standard. ?On the back of the helmet a symbol of luck for Max: an infuriated ram tattooed "76" that is moving between two chequered flags and tongues of fire.
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