With four different winners from six races, and just five points separating the championship leaders, much is expected at this weekend's Valencia round of the Corona Extra Superbike World championship.
The title chase has been dramatically tightened after
James Toseland's Hannspree Ten Kate Honda stuttered to a halt while leading race two at
Donington Park. That technical mishap denied the Briton a double home victory, broke a brilliant run of consistency that had seen him finish first or second in the first five races and stripped him of a potential 25 points.
Alstare Suzuki's Max Biaggi looked like to benefit most from Toseland's premature exit, but the former
MotoGP star run wide at the very final turn - allowing Yamaha's
Noriyuki Haga, who had hounded Biaggi for much of the race, to steal a surprise victory.
Nevertheless, Biaggi is now just five-points behind Toseland heading into this weekend's pair of Valencia races, when the Italian will again be chasing his second WSBK win.
Haga's victory propelled the popular Japanese to third in the points, albeit 22 behind Biaggi, while team-mate
Troy Corser's pair of Donington podiums place the Australian a further seven points back. Corser has at Valencia on both twin-cylinder and four-cylinder machinery, and is expected to be fighting for his first R1 win on Sunday.
A lacklustre 2006 season for Ducati Xerox's
Lorenzo Lanzi was punctuated by Valencia’s twin peaks - his only two podiums of the year - and, having already scored third in Qatar race one this year, the Italian is now looking for his first WSBK win at a circuit he tested particularly well at recently.
Meanwhile, team-mate and reigning double world champion
Troy Bayliss has recovered well from injuries to his little finger and groin and fully intends to race. The Australian will thus be presenting himself for medical checks as soon as he gets to Valencia, but his double Donington DNF has left him with a championship mountain to climb.
