From the outset the race was close with the top six bunched together for lap after lap, before three riders -
Noriyuki Haga, Toseland and Biaggi - broke away in the closing stages.
Haga was relegated to third place when Biaggi, who had fought his way impressively through the field, pipped him on the last lap in a similar manner to how Haga had passed Biaggi for victory at
Donington Park two weeks ago.
“I'm knackered!” exclaimed Toseland after the race, “I've never been close to winning here. It is good to ride for this great team. We've had a great start to the season, I did have a mishap at Donington Park and we had a problem here in race one, but my team prepped the second bike and here we are. I have to say sorry to Haga for the move at the hairpin. A lot of fans have made the trip down here so this had made it worth their while.”
Toseland did put a hard move on Haga as he went on to explain, “Haga was holding his arm when we got on the podium. Xaus went under him and I thought he had gone wider than he had. The door was open but not that open. I'm sorry but I'm sure he will get me back.”
Biaggi's run from twelfth to second was superb and even Toseland was surprised by the Italian, “Biaggi went from twelfth to second, I looked behind me and he was there I thought, ‘How did he do that?' I hope things continue like this and we shall see what happens at the end of the year,” he concluded.
Off the line Biaggi got away well, “It was complicated at the start, I was on the third row and someone in the Superstock race, their engine had broken and there was a lot of oil on turn one. So there was only one line through there and everyone was fast. This time I had not such a gap to the front and I caught up and I was there,” he said.
