To take sixth in SilverstoneTeam Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi had to fight pain and atrocious conditions but still managed to take a gritty sixth place in the first WSBK race at Silverstone today.
The pain happened as a result of a dramatic highside
in the race. Max went up into the air, but somehow was able to land back on the bike. But as he did, his right leg hit the footpeg with such force that the peg was broken! He also hit the inside of his left leg on the fairing and was in discomfort for the rest of the race.
In the event, that was Max's only action for the day, as the second race was cancelled on safety grounds. The riders went out on their inspection lap for race two, but standing water and a risk of aquaplaning was enough for the start to be delayed. After a 30 minute delay, the organisers decided that conditions had not improved and so cancelled the race.
It was not a good day for Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama. He crashed in the race and hurt his lower back in the process, forcing him to retire.
The first race featured a three-way fight between Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and the Yamaha duo of Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser. Corser led the first part of the race, but once Bayliss got in front that was more or less it. Haga and Corser fought him all the way, but it was Bayliss who splashed his way to victory after 28 difficult laps. Haga took runner-up spot, with Corser third.
MAX - Race 1: 6th, Race 2: Cancelled
"I think it was the right decision to cancel the second race because there was a lot of standing water on the track and the spray made it very hard to see where you were going. At the start of the first race I was behind Yukio and I could see he was having a lot of problems when he was on the gas . The bike kept going sideways - especially compared to the other riders. I nearly crashed myself and was lucky to get away with it. I highsided and the bike went one way and then the other. When I came back down on the bike, my right leg hit the footpeg with such force that it broke it. Today I brought the bike home and that is a big result for me. At the moment, I want to be able to race at the front, but we need to do more work on the bike and I hope we can improve it soon."
YUKIO - Race 1 : DNF after 20 laps. Race 2: Cancelled
"That was a very disappointing day and to end it with no points and a very sore back is no good. Where is my luck? Today my bike felt strange and I had many slides.
My crash was also not a normal one. Because the bike felt strange, I changed my style and tried to ride smoothly. I wanted to understand what was going on. I knew if I pushed hard I would crash, so I rode more slowly and then suddenly I was highsided! If I had been going fast, I would've understood, but I wasn't. I hit the ground hard and injured my lower back and because it was so painful, I knew that I couldn't keep going. And with the second race cancelled, it meant I didn't score any points today, which makes me disappointed and a bit frustrated."
Alstare Suzuki
