Italy could produce its first world superbike champion this weekend, with Aprilia‰Ûªs Max Biaggi on target to wrap up the title in front of his home fans at Imola.
Biaggi, already a four-time world 250 GP champion, sits a commanding 58 points ahead of Suzuki‰Ûªs Leon Haslam with just four races ‰ÛÒ and a maximum of 100pts ‰ÛÒ left in this year‰Ûªs championship.
If Biaggi‰Ûªs rich vein of form continues at Imola, and Haslam fails to rally, the odds are that Biaggi will seal the championship deal on Sunday, making him the first Continental winner since Frenchman Raymond Roche back in 1990.
The genesis of Biaggi‰Ûªs commanding lead is straightforward: he won seven of 10 races in a mid-year blitz, just as Haslam‰Ûªs form began to plateau. Since then, the veteran has been metering his lead with precision, and the ultimate reward could come his way on Sunday night.
"As I already said, at Imola I will be have to be a ruthless calculator,‰Û
