VOL. 52 ISSUE 23 JUNE 9, 2015 P25
BIAGGI'S BACK!
A
fter so many "will-he or won't he" moments
from Max Biaggi in recent months it appears
he will be a 100 percent certain World Superbike
starter at Misano, with various sponsors paying for
him to run an Aprilia; but not in the same colors
or in the same pitbox as the official team. The
43-year old is Aprilia's official test rider and he will
have a second outing at Sepang—if he can get
Aprilia to give him machinery again. That detail has
apparently not been tied up yet.
At the Friday press conference Voltcom Cres-
cent Suzuki's Alex Lowes appeared to be as
keen as anybody for Max Biaggi to come back at
Misano and Sepang as he had not ridden against
him in World Superbike before.
"It would be good to be on track with some of
the guys you grew up watching," Lowes said. "It
would be pretty cool."
He leaned over to current World Champion Syl-
vain Guintoli afterwards and quipped, still on the
microphone, "Is he older than you?!"
Kawasaki Racing Team's Jonathan Rea was
also publicly happy that Biaggi may come back for
a race or two, saying, "I am really excited because
Max [Biaggi] kind of fits into that villain character
that we kind of need here. I am looking forward
to having him back because he has a massive
CV [resume]. I just hope he does not come back
and beat everybody because we will all look really
stupid as he has been on holiday for two or three
years now. But if anybody could come back and
do that is Max Biaggi."
Even so, it is still a big ask. Coming back to
challenge for podiums was a feat beyond even
Troy Bayliss, who made two World Superbike rides
earlier this season.
Gordon Ritchie
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
Max Biaggi to
take a break
from retirement
to race World
Supers.
