World Superbike Picks and Preview – Valencia
Ben Spies Looks to Continue SBK Winning Streak in Spain
After two rounds of superb racing, the Superbike World Championship moves to Valencia this weekend. The Ricardo Tormo Circuit is a technical course that should offer plenty of challenge. Alternating tight corners with several flowing sections, the track seems to close back up just as soon as it opens, rewarding finesse over brute force.
SBK newcomer Ben Spies has set the circuit on fire for the first two rounds, but can he keep up the pace in Round 3? Whether you are in a Fantasy SBK League, or just want to know who to look out for this weekend, here are some top picks for Valencia:
Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike - Yamaha YZF-R1
Spies has been nothing short of spectacular in the first two rounds of his debut season in SBK. If not for an early runoff in his series debut at Philip Island, Spies would likely have wins in all four races run this year.
Since his misfortune in the season opener, Spies has been unbeatable, winning three in a row, and there are no signs he will slow down this weekend. In Spies hands, the newly revamped YZF-R1 motorcycle is a scorcher in the corners, and the Valencia track seems perfectly tailored to his riding style.
At some point, the rest of the field will begin to catch up, but until they do, Elbowz is the rider to look out for this weekend.
Noriyuki Haga, Ducati Xerox Team - Ducati 1198
With all of the publicity surrounding Spies, it is easy to forget that Haga is actually the championship leader, and by 10 points. Haga has looked impressive making his transition from Yamaha motorcycles to the Ducati 1198, with one win and three second place finishes.
Haga has been the only rider able to compete with Spies so far this season, but there is still some sorting work to do for Ducati, as the handling on the 1198 appeared to fade late in races over the first two rounds.
Haga has three SBK victories in Valencia, and should be able to challenge for the win, but without the ability to take advantage of the Ducati’s superior top-end power on the technical Spanish track, Spies enters the weekend with the advantage.
Max Neukirchner, Suzuki Alstare BRUX - Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
Despite an impressive showing in Round 1 at Philip Island that put him on the podium in race 1, Neukirchner struggled at Qatar; after a run-in during practice with Tony Corser, he then proceeded to wreck-out in race 1 before battling back to a sixth place finish in race 2.
Neukirchner is a good candidate to bounce back this weekend in Valencia; he has never won here, but Neukirchner holds the track qualifying record, and he proved in the Philip Island opener that his GSX-R matches up very well with the Ducati motorcycle.
Max Biaggi, Aprilia Racing - Aprilia RSV4
Biaggi had an absolutely dismal opening weekend at Phillip Island, but came back strong in Qatar, putting the brand new RSV4 on the podium for both races. Aprilia made huge strides between the first two rounds on the RSV4’s handling, and there is no question that Biaggi will feel much better about his chances for consistency this season if the team has a good run in Valencia.
Like Haga’s Ducati, there is still work to be done; the Aprilia has shown decent power, but Biaggi’s RSV4 motorcycle seemed to fade late in both Losail races. With the huge jump in performance from Round 1 to Round 2 for both Biaggi and teammate Shinya Nakano, however, Biaggi should enter the weekend with plenty of confidence, and may show everyone in Valencia that Aprilia will be a consistent podium contender.
Tony Corser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport - BMW S1000RR
BMW certainly faces an uphill battle this season having never fielded a superbike team before, but Valencia offers them the opportunity to have the same breakthrough weekend that Aprilia had at Losail.
With five career wins and four poles at the Tormo Circuit, Corser has plenty of experience at this track, and his performance at Losail was encouraging; despite falling back to 9th late in race 2, Corser confidently ran in the top five until his tires started to fade. With Aprilia’s performance in Qatar, the pressure is on at BMW to get their brand new S1000RR motorcycle on the podium as well. Corser has his best shot yet at making that happen.
Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike - Yamaha YZF-R1
Sykes may not have the wins that Ben Spies has, but he does have the bike. The new YZF-R1 is clearly a race-winning motorcycle, and while Sykes may not compete with Spies or Haga this round, he has top-10 finishes in all four races this season, and with the R1 being a good match for the Valencia track, it is very possible he will grab two more solid finishes this weekend.
With the action seen over the first two rounds of the Superbike World Championship, fans should expect even more motorcycle racing excitement to come out of Valencia this weekend. Chances are that Spies and Biaggi will once again battle for the top spot, but there could be a couple of surprises on the podium.
Who will win SBK in Valencia?
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