Misano Adriatico San Marino, Italy. will be sixth of the 13 rounds in this year's calendar. Carlos Checa is currently holds a healthy 61-point lead in the table over his Italian rivals Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team).
Last year Checa took home a second and a fifth place in the two races won by Biaggi, the 2010 champion who is still in with a good chance of retaining his crown. But this year, with six wins to his name (including two doubles), Checa is in spectacular form and will be going all out to maintain his advantage this weekend. Biaggi on the other hand is still searching for his first, elusive win this season on the Aprilia RSV4-R machine, and he will be required to call upon all his vast experience and character to bring an end to a series of episodes that have kept him down in third place overall in the standings.
In the historic city centre riders and bikes representing the seven manufacturers officially taking part in World Superbike tackled a 300 metre long uphill route on the cobblestones towards Piazza della Libertà square amidst the enraptured gaze of tourists, shoppers and onlookers.
Jonathan Rea (Honda), Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki), Leon Camier (Aprilia), Marco Melandri (Yamaha), Carlos Checa (Ducati), Leon Haslam (BMW) and Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki) were the riders chosen for this spectacular exhibition, and they were greeted at the top for the inauguration of the Superbike Expo display by the San Marino and Misano Adriatico political and sporting authorities.
The FIM Superbike World Championship weekend will be at its very best this coming weekend for the San Marino Round, with a full programme of supporting events, including World Supersport, Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and UEM European Superstock 600 Championship, following the sole appearance of the Superbike category at the last round in the USA.
