Cycle News

Cycle News 2019 Issue 20 May 21

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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IN THE WIND P44 Max Biaggi's Father Passes N ew and victorious Moto3 team owner Max Biaggi suffered a blow at Le Mans after hearing that his father, Pietro, was critically ill in a hospital in Rome. Biaggi left the track directly on Saturday morning for Charles de Gaulle airport but was too late to bid fare- well to his father, writing in a moving tribute on social media: "I tried in vain to get there in time, but I failed." Four times World Champion and twice Superbike title winner Biaggi was raised by his father after his mother abandoned the family. The news followed two sad incidents at Le Mans. On Friday morning, a pit-lane marshal, Jean-Paul Plee, suffered a heart attack and could not be re- vived. Marshals and racing management paid a flag- waving tribute on race morning. Then on Saturday and early- arriving spectator collapsed in the grandstands opposite the pits, and paramedics were un- able to revive him. Michael Scott Max Biaggi's father was a huge figure in the Grand Prix paddock and raised Max on his own. Young Takes CSBK Opener T he opening round of the 2019 Canadian Su- perbike Championship (CSBK) got underway at Shannonville Motorsports Park, May 18-19, with Ben Young (BMW S 1000 RR) taking a clean sweep by leading every practice and qualifying session and each lap of the 22-lap race. Despite his run at the top of the leaderboard, Young was under siege for the entirety of the race, holding off a pair of familiar foes in Kenny Ried- mann in second and four-time defending champion Jordan Szoke completing the podium in third. "It feels really great. We had a great start, but I knew they were behind me the whole way, so I really had to push," said Young. "It's nice to see BMW continuing their run of wins here this season, and I'm just honored to be a part of that, so we're all looking forward to round two in a few weeks at Grand Bend. I think it's one of my better tracks, so to go in there with a points advantage over Jordan and Kenny is just a dream come true so far." After switching from long-time manufacturer BMW to Kawasaki for 2019, Szoke will leave round one without the title lead for the first time in seven sea- sons and had to fight through the pain barrier after suffering a massive crash on Saturday morning. "It was a real push to get the bikes together, and I was having a tough time fighting through the pain, so I knew I had to play it smart," said Szoke. "It was a tough weekend, but the new team is a great fit. It's not about every race, it's about the champi- onship, and we'll be right back up there in round two." CN Ben Young dominated the CSBK round at Shannonville Motorsports Park in Canada.

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