2011 World Superbike
After fracturing his foot due to hitting debris at Nurburgring in September, Alitalia Aprilia’s Max Biaggi was forced out of two rounds – his home Italian round in Imola and Magny-Cours in France.
Biaggi, who felt the event at Nurburgring was like a "poor practical joke" due to how it occurred, is still not 100-percent recovered, but he has a high-desire to finish at the 2011 World Superbike finale at Portimao this Sunday.
Max Biaggi (Alitalia Aprilia RSV4 World Superbike) says: "I really hoped to get back onto the track quickly. This is the first time in my career that I’ve missed races. Obviously my condition is not at 100 percent, but the desire to get onto the track in Portimao is very strong.
"The kind messages I received from my fans certainly helped to speed up my recovery! Portimao is a beautiful track, very demanding and spectacular. Last year I took the first double victory for myself and Aprilia, so we’ll know straight away during the Friday practice sessions what results we can aim for. I’ve worked as much as possible to recover muscle tone and to prepare as best I can."
The reigning World SBK champion Biaggi will be on the Portimao circuit Friday for the first Superbike practice and qualifying sessions. Heading into Round 10 of 12 at Imola, Biaggi was one of two riders who could have contested for the 2011 World Superbike title.
But the man he was after – Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa – clinched the title at Magny-Cours, the Spaniard taking both races at Magny-Cours. The other man who could have contested for the title against Checa, Yamaha’s Marco Melandri, struggled at the last two races in Imola and Magny-Cours.