Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team aim for the last objective of Max Biaggi’s season The Manufacturer Championship will be decided at Magny Cours. Noale, 30 sept 2010 – After the fantastic weekend at Imola which saw Max Biaggi crowned World Superbike Champion, the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team returns to the track with another grand objective in their sights for this extraordinary season: the Manufacturer title. Aprilia comes to the French Magny Cours track, the last round of the season, with a 41 point advantage over Ducati. “It would be truly exceptional – comments the new world champion, Max Biaggi – to be able to place the manufacturer world title next to my rider world title. Most of all I think it would be a great reward for the guys on the team and the entire Racing Division who, together with me, have given a performance this season which will go down in the history of our sport. As always, we will be giving it our all. Unfortunately I am struggling with a less than brilliant physical condition which is hopefully just a passing flu and won’t ruin this last weekend of the 2010 season”. More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: Magny Cours, 30th September 2010 Just a few days after last weekend’s spectacular race event at Imola, during which 70,000 Italian fans saw Althea Racing’s Carlos Checa storm to a double victory, the team, captained by Genesio Bevilacqua, is ready for the final round of the 2010 season, to take place this weekend at the French circuit of Magny-Cours. Spanish rider Checa will try to prolong his winning streak and close what has been a more than satisfactory season, characterized so far by seven podiums and three race wins, in the best possible way. The 37-year old rider lies in fourth position in the standings but with just fourteen points separating him and Northern Irish rider Jonathan Rea, third position is well within reach. The main objective now for both Carlos and the Civita Castellana-based team is to finish the championship in third place, despite the unstable weather conditions forecast for the coming weekend. Shane Byrne will also be looking to conclude his season on a high note. Checa’s team-mate took his best results of the season at the recent Imola round, finishing the races in sixth and eighth position. At Magny-Cours Shakey hopes to do even better and aims for the top five, as his adventure with Team Althea Racing comes to an end. On French soil, the Italian team have one more objective: with only two races to go, Althea Racing currently lies in third position in the team standings, and to finish on this very special podium would be a further demonstration of the satellite Ducati team’s strength; the team has been a main player from the start and has grown towards the end of the 2010 season. “At Magny-Cours we will aim for the podium, in both the rider’s and team’s championship”, reveals General Manager of Althea Racing, Genesio Bevilacqua. “We’re spurred on by Sunday’s fantastic results at Imola. It was an incredible day for the team, for our partners and for everyone that supports us, Carlos rode impeccably and Shane too brought home two important results. We’re still not satisfied though, as we want to be among the frontrunners again here at Magny-Cours, to close the season strongly and prepare ourselves as best we can for 2011.” The first free practice session will commence tomorrow at 12.45, followed by first qualifying at 15.45. On Saturday, after morning qualifying at 10.45, Superpole will get underway at 15.00. Sunday is race day with the two Superbike races starting at 12 and at 15.30.