On Tuesday and Wednesday of next week the protagonists of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship and the Supersport World Championship will be heading for the Vallelunga circuit near Rome for two days of official testing. The tests will be a good opportunity to find the right set-up for the twelfth round of the championship at the 4.110 km Italian circuit, scheduled for September 21st, as well as to put in some vital testing before the upcoming rounds at Brno and Brands Hatch. Most of the championship regulars will be present, just a week or so after the San Marino Round at Misano, where the wins were split between Germany’s Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) and Spain’s Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati). With two third places at Misano, Australian Troy Bayliss increased his championship lead to 49 points, ahead of Neukirchner, Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare), Xaus, Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox). The test, just a couple of weeks before the Brno round on July 20th, will also see the Superbike debut of the 20 year-old from Genoa, Niccolò Canepa, winner of the 2007 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, who will take part in three WSBK races this year (Brno, Vallelunga and Magny-Cours) as wild-card on the factory Ducati Xerox bike. Most of the top riders in the World Supersport championship will also be present at Vallelunga. Following his fourth win of the year at Misano, Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) leads the table ahead of Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport), Joshua Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda), Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) and British riders Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The gates will also be open for the general public, with an entry fee of Euro 10,00 to watch the action from the grandstands.
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