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From Superbike Planet:
(Non) Biaggi World Superbike Update
by dean adams
Friday, January 06, 2006
It's been a quiet week for the World Superbike championship. The much-rumored announcement that Max Biaggi would be joining the Alstare Suzuki team never developed, but it is known that series principals the Flammini brothers are working to get Biaggi a spot in the Superbike world championship.
One might ask a question like "why?" in regards to WSBK pushing to get Biaggi a ride in their series. While he may seem like a nightmare rider to add to a team, Biaggi is a well-known sporting personality in Europe and remains a near rock star in Italy in terms of popularity. With that comes a great deal of marketing cachet, so, although he can't land a ride in MotoGP, Biaggi still has many options in other series if he wants them.
Suzuki sources said this week that Flammini is pushing the Alstare squad to run three Superbike bikes in 2006 but that the third GSX-R won't be for Biaggi.
World Superbike fans will have to remain content with the news that broke this week that longtime GP man Alex Barros signed to ride with the Klaffi Honda team in 2006. Is it an accurate description to call Barros a mid-pack rider in MotoGP?—he won a GP last year, but on the whole, his finishes were nothing to proclaim. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how a mid-pack MotoGP rider equates in World Superbike.
Who would have guessed that both 2005 Camel Honda riders, Troy Bayliss and Barros, would be in World Superbike in 2006, and the team now essentially defunct?
(Non) Biaggi World Superbike Update
by dean adams
Friday, January 06, 2006
It's been a quiet week for the World Superbike championship. The much-rumored announcement that Max Biaggi would be joining the Alstare Suzuki team never developed, but it is known that series principals the Flammini brothers are working to get Biaggi a spot in the Superbike world championship.
One might ask a question like "why?" in regards to WSBK pushing to get Biaggi a ride in their series. While he may seem like a nightmare rider to add to a team, Biaggi is a well-known sporting personality in Europe and remains a near rock star in Italy in terms of popularity. With that comes a great deal of marketing cachet, so, although he can't land a ride in MotoGP, Biaggi still has many options in other series if he wants them.
Suzuki sources said this week that Flammini is pushing the Alstare squad to run three Superbike bikes in 2006 but that the third GSX-R won't be for Biaggi.
World Superbike fans will have to remain content with the news that broke this week that longtime GP man Alex Barros signed to ride with the Klaffi Honda team in 2006. Is it an accurate description to call Barros a mid-pack rider in MotoGP?—he won a GP last year, but on the whole, his finishes were nothing to proclaim. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how a mid-pack MotoGP rider equates in World Superbike.
Who would have guessed that both 2005 Camel Honda riders, Troy Bayliss and Barros, would be in World Superbike in 2006, and the team now essentially defunct?
