WSB - Alstare Suzuki Ready For Assen - April 24th 2007

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and team mate Yukio Kagayama are looking forward to this weekend's Assen World Superbike fifth round for different reasons.

For Biaggi, it will be another chance to put pressure on current series leader James Toseland in his title challenge. For Kagayama, it will be an opportunity to end a disappointing run and get back his form and confidence.

Although Biaggi has raced many times at the Dutch venue before, this will be his first time on the newly-revised circuit, so he will have to relearn it when practice begins on Friday morning. Kagayama rode the circuit last year, failing to finish the first race, held in atrocious conditions, but he made up for that by taking fourth position in race two.

Max Biaggi:

"I like Assen but I don't know how it will be for me now because the circuit has changed since the last time I was there. Most of the Superbike regulars were there last year so I will be at a small disadvantage because I will have to relearn the track before I can push hard. But normally I learn tracks pretty quickly, so I don't think it'll be a big problem. I am enjoying this Superbike format a lot and I have no problems at all doing two races a day. It gives you two chances to do well, so if you miss out in the first race, there is always the second to do a good job."

Yukio Kagayama:

"Normally I like Assen but last year's first race was not so good because of the very bad weather. The rain was terrible and there was much standing water on the track and that made it very difficult. The second was much better and I had a good fight with Bayliss for most of the race. This year has been a bit strange for me and I have missed too many races because of injury. My aim for Assen is to have a good qualifying, be right up with the top guys in both races, and score some good points. I need two good finishes for sure."