Just when
Noriyuki Haga looked to have put his broken collarbone behind him, and got his 2008 World Superbike Championship challenge back on track, the Yamaha Italia star's title assault wobbled once again at Misano on Sunday.
The Japanese, who broke his collarbone at the US round, fought back with a double victory next time out in Germany, but struggled for a set-up throughout practice, qualifying and the first race at Misano - which he finished in tenth position, behind even Team YZF Yamaha's Shinichi Nakatomi.
"We got caught in race one when Laconi crashed and I had to avoid him so to come from so far back was not easy," said Nori, who dropped back to 19th on the opening lap.
Haga later revealed that the sweltering Italian heat was taking it toll on his reduced physical condition, but he was at least able to find an improved set-up for race two - which he finished in fourth position.
"Race two was better and I got good points, but it has been a very hard weekend for me," he confessed. "I have not been able to do the same running training I would do normally, because of my injury. In this heat it made a difference and I didn't have my normal strength."
Haga is now fourth in the standings and 68 points behind championship leader
Troy Bayliss, who took a pair of thirds at Misano, but team manager Massimo Meregalli insists anything can still happen.
"Nori didn't find the set up he was looking for until the second race where he showed us that even when it wasn't possible to win he rode to get the best result, had he started further up the grid, the result would possibly have been more points," said Meregalli. "He is still always competitive. With six races still to run everything is still possible."
