WORLD SUPERBIKE
WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8/JUNE 21, 2015
MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT "MARCO SIMONCELLI"/MISANO, ITALY
P100
would have been an astounding win in
race two.
His return was well anticipated and
also well received all round, as he
showed how fast he still is at 43 (44 next
week!) and how much he had learned
from a pre-Misano test.
He had doubted his chances of a win
pre-race.
"No chance," Biaggi said. "I think to
go and win this is not in my possibility
but to do a nice race we can do."
So he surprised even himself to be so
close in race two.
"Race two went better than the first,"
he said. "I finished about five seconds
>>BIAGGI SPEAKS BAYLISS COMPARISONS
The comparisons between the
comeback of Troy Bayliss at Phillip
Island and Thailand this year, and
Biaggi's return at Misano, were inevi-
table—even if the circumstances were
very different.
But Biaggi's top runs on Friday and
Saturday showed him he would have
promise, and was still at full pace. A
best of ninth for Bayliss in race one
at Chang in Thailand showed that
greatness was alive yet, but just too
long removed from action, and with no
recent testing experience.
"What I see now for what we did
now, I will not be happy finishing
eighth," said Biaggi. "I have a lot of
respect for Troy [Bayliss], he is a good
guy, and I am sure he did a very good
performance, but regarding to me this
is an Italian round, and I have been
here testing, so I think we had a great
first day. Friday does not count but for
emotion it counts for a lot."
The most obvious difference
between Biaggi and Bayliss is that
Biaggi has been Aprilia's official and
unofficial test rider for some time, and
he lapped Misano extensively very
recently. He has only retired from rac-
ing, not riding Aprilia's World Super-
bike machinery.
But Max is downplaying that aspect
of his strong initial Misano perfor-
mances.
"I tested with the Superbike three
times this year but of course you can
get a wet day, so not very much," he
said. "To be back with the new rules,
a new bike, it is more complicated.
You remember the bike the way it was
in 2012 which is very different than
(Left to right) It
was another all-
British podium in
race one—Sykes,
Rea and Chaz
Davies.
