|
Canepa leads Vallelunga test roster |
The World Superbike competitors will get a chance to find some improvements with their bikes ahead of a busy second half of the season at next week's test at Vallelunga.
Nearly all of the teams will be present at the test, although Alstare Suzuki, together with riders Max Neukirchner, Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama, have chosen to sit this one out.
Instead, Ducati will have a strong presence around the Italian circuit, with all of their 1098 riders, Troy Bayliss, Michel Fabrizio, Ruben Xaus, Max Biaggi, Lorenzo Lanzi and Jakub Smrz all appearing. Perhaps most significantly though, Niccolò Canepa will also be present, the young Italian making his first WSBK appearance ahead of his wildcard races at Brno, Vallelunga and Magny-Cours.
Elswhere, all three Ten Kate Honda riders, Carlos Checa, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Kenan Sofuoglu will look to boost thier disasppointing recent form, while they will be joined by counterparts Karl Muggeridge, Luca Morelli, Jason Pridmore, Shuhei Aoyama and Roberto Rolfo.
Noriyuki Haga, Troy Corser and Shinichi Nakatomi will fly the flag for Yamaha, while PSG-1 will appear with Kawasakis for Regis Laconi and Makoto Tamada too.
The twisting Rome circuit will be used by the teams as an opportunity to find the right set-up for the 12th round of the championship, as well as the coming events at Brno, Brands Hatch and Donington Park.
