ALSTARE MEN READY FOR ASSEN
 Team
Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and team mate
Yukio Kagayama are looking forward to this weekend's Assen
World Superbike fifth round for different reasons.
For Biaggi, it will be another chance to put pressure on
current series leader James Toseland in his title challenge.
For Kagayama, it will be an opportunity to end a disappointing
run and get back his form and confidence.
Although Biaggi has raced many times at the Dutch venue before,
this will be his first time on the newly-revised circuit,
so he will have to relearn it when practice begins on Friday
morning. Kagayama rode the circuit last year, failing to finish
the first race, held in atrocious conditions, but he made
up for that by taking fourth position in race two.
Max Biaggi:
"I like Assen but I don't know how it will be for me
now because the circuit has changed since the last time I
was there. Most of the Superbike regulars were there last
year so I will be at a small disadvantage because I will have
to relearn the track before I can push hard. But normally
I learn tracks pretty quickly, so I don't think it'll be a
big problem. I am enjoying this Superbike format a lot and
I have no problems at all doing two races a day. It gives
you two chances to do well, so if you miss out in the first
race, there is always the second to do a good job."
Yukio Kagayama:
"Normally I like Assen but last year's first race was
not so good because of the very bad weather. The rain was
terrible and there was much standing water on the track and
that made it very difficult. The second was much better and
I had a good fight with Bayliss for most of the race. This
year has been a bit strange for me and I have missed too many
races because of injury. My aim for Assen is to have a good
qualifying, be right up with the top guys in both races, and
score some good points. I need two good finishes for sure."
2006 results:
Race 1: 1 Walker (GB-Kawasaki), 2 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio
(I-Honda). Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)
DNF.
Race 2: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Pitt, 3 Nieto (E-Kawasaki),
4 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra).
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