Yukio Kagayama is returning to the scene of his maiden double victory in World Superbikes last year, confident Brno is just the place to kick-start his 2007 challenge after a troubled first half to the campaign.

The Japanese ace is barely inside the top ten in the riders' standings and some 128 points adrift of Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team-mate Max Biaggi following just four top six finishes from the opening eight rounds. Indeed, at Donington Park earlier in the year he failed even to make it through to Superpole in qualifying, but more encouragingly his two best performances – a third and fourth place – came in the most recent meeting at Misano last month.

“If I can repeat my results from last year I will be a very happy man!” joked the 33-year-old, who has been working particularly hard of late to improve his K7. “Last year was my first-ever double in World Superbikes and it was a very special feeling.

“The start of my season this year has not been so good, but recently the team and I have found a good setting and now I feel much more comfortable riding the bike and can push much harder. Now I understand the limit of the bike and that makes my job easier.

“I wish we had found this set-up earlier, but that is how racing goes sometimes. Now it is up to me and the team to improve this feeling and challenge for podium places in every race.”

Biaggi, meanwhile, has yet to race a Superbike around the 5.403km Czech circuit, though he does have considerable experience of the track from his days in GP racing and MotoGP. He has also tested his Alstare Suzuki there recently, and will be looking for his second victory of the season to close the 43-point gap on championship leader James Toseland having not triumphed since the opening race at Qatar back in February.

“Brno is a circuit I know from before,” the Italian confirmed, “and it is a track I like. It is a good track for both riders and fans and I hope I can get some good results there.

“I tested at Brno not so long ago and know that as usual there are many things we have to do with the bike to get it right for this track. I always like to get a good set-up and feeling before I push hard, and that's what we'll start working on the first day of practice.”