biaggi

Noriyuki Haga continues to lead the after two rounds of the World Superbike Championship, although Ben Spies' double triumph at Losail has sliced the margin in half to ten points.

Full race results (1) from the second round of the World Superbike Championship at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar.

The countdown to the 2009 World Superbike Championship begins here with the post-season tests getting underway in Portugal - and Crash.net have all the latest pictures.

Having seen his last chance too remain a full time MotoGP rider next season, on a third Kawasaki, evaporate Shinya Nakano has officially called an end to his ten-year grand prix career by signing to ride for Aprilia in the 2009 World Superbike Championship, alongside Max Biaggi.

Aprilia has officially presented its new RSV4 motorcycle, with which Max Biaggi will headline the Italian factory's much-anticipated return to World Superbike competition in 2009.

1. Noriyuki Haga JPN Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 24 laps 2. Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1098 RS08 +0.129secs 3. Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 +0.535secs

As expected, Max Biaggi will definitely return to Aprilia in 2009 to front their new World Superbike effort after signing a two-year deal.

GMB Racing, which runs the Sterilgarda Ducati team, has apologised for the behaviour of Ruben Xaus after race one at Donington Park on Sunday. The Spaniard believed he had finished the two-part race in third position, despite falling at high speed on the red flag lap.

The Sterilgarda Ducati team enjoyed a dream race two at Misano with Ruben Xaus taking victory ahead of team-mate Max Biaggi at the end of an eventful, restarted, second race.

1. Ruben Xaus SPA Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1098 RS08 39mins 19.710secs 24 laps 2. Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1098 RS08 +1.035secs 3. Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati Xerox 1098 F08 +4.158secs

But then, just three laps from the finish, fellow 1098R rider Jakub Smrz made an ill-fated attempt to pass the Sterilgarda rider into the second chicane.

Noriyuki Haga survived intermittent clouds of smoke from his Yamaha R1 to overtake countryman Ryuichi Kiyonari for victory on the very last turn of a dramatic, incident packed, second race at Monza.

1. Noriyuki Haga JPN Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 18 laps 2. Max Neukirchner GER Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +0.009 secs 3. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +0.051 secs

The Roman, who fell from his Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati at around 200km/h during race two in Australia, has been told that the mild climate of the Indian Ocean location will help his many bumps and bruises heal, although his fractured left wrist remains in a cast.

The list reveals that there will be six of the new 1200cc Ducati 1098Rs on the grid this year, with single-rider entries for former factory pliot Lorenzo Lanzi (R.G.Team) and Czech Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Racing) adding to the two-rider Xerox and Sterilgarda line-ups.

Former MotoGP star Biaggi, who finished third in the 2007 world championship on an Alstare Suzuki, will ride alongside Ruben Xaus for the satellite Sterilgarda Go Eleven team this season.

Biaggi, who hasn't ridden a Superbike since splitting from Alstare Suzuki shortly after the end of the 2007 season, will join most of the leading WSBK and WSS teams in testing at the challenging Australian race track from January 8-10.

The big story at the start of the 2007 World Superbike season was the debut of former MotoGP star Max Biaggi who, after a season on the sidelines, was returning to world championship racing with Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra.

Haga and leader Troy Bayliss had battled for supremacy from the start of race one, but were later caught by home hero Biaggi. Then, just three laps from the end, Biaggi attempted to overtake the Japanese by diving inside during the second part of the Curvone corner.

Max Biaggi has lost all hope of turning around his disappointing 2005 season with the Repsol Honda team, after yet another forgettable outing at Qatar on Saturday.

Max Biaggi starts the 2005 MotoGP season with his best chance yet of claiming a first premier-class world crown, after signing to ride for the factory Repsol Honda outfit.

Max Biaggi starts the 2005 MotoGP season with his best chance yet of claiming a first premier-class world crown, after signing to ride for the factory Repsol Honda outfit.

Erv Kanemoto, who left the factory Suzuki team at the end of last season, will be reunited with former rider Max Biaggi in 2005, with confirmation that the technical guru will switch to the Repsol Honda team.

Max Biaggi jumped at the chance to use the new Honda exhaust system and associated engine parts in Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix - previously only available to factory riders Alex Barros (for two GPs) and Nicky Hayden (in the Donington test) - a seemingly obvious decision which may have cost