GixerGaz
15-12-2006, 13:48
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6156&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1166186845
Troy Bayliss believes newcomer Max Biaggi will pose the biggest threat to him retaining his World Superbike Championship crown next season.
The 37-year-old Australian, who will stay with Ducati in 2007, could not get within half a second of new Alstare Suzuki recruit Biaggi on the final day of the Valencia test and the champion, who also won the title in 2001, is preparing himself for a battle royale against the 13-time Moto GP race-winner who they call "The Roman Emperor" next season.
"Max has been going good and he is going to be my biggest threat without a doubt next year," Bayliss told Motorcyle News.
"He won't be the only one though. I think Lorenzo [Lanzi] will be fast and also James [Toseland]. Yamaha need to do more work, but they'll be there too - it's going to be the toughest year ever."
While many of his rivals, such as the Alstare Suzuki and Motor Italia Yamaha teams, will have all-new bikes for 2007, Bayliss will ride the same Ducati 999 that he won 12 races and the championship on this year.
And Bayliss, who has won 34 WSBK races during his career and recently claimed his maiden Moto GP win on a one-off ride for Ducati in Valencia, thinks that this will put both him and team-mate Lanzi on the back-foot right from the start.
Bayliss added: "We haven't got a new bike, so we're going to have to get our heads down and really concentrate on settings.
"We can work a bit more on electronics but there's nothing else to come from the bike. I could probably lose some weight myself but I'm not really sure how much that will help. It's going to be very hard."
Troy Bayliss believes newcomer Max Biaggi will pose the biggest threat to him retaining his World Superbike Championship crown next season.
The 37-year-old Australian, who will stay with Ducati in 2007, could not get within half a second of new Alstare Suzuki recruit Biaggi on the final day of the Valencia test and the champion, who also won the title in 2001, is preparing himself for a battle royale against the 13-time Moto GP race-winner who they call "The Roman Emperor" next season.
"Max has been going good and he is going to be my biggest threat without a doubt next year," Bayliss told Motorcyle News.
"He won't be the only one though. I think Lorenzo [Lanzi] will be fast and also James [Toseland]. Yamaha need to do more work, but they'll be there too - it's going to be the toughest year ever."
While many of his rivals, such as the Alstare Suzuki and Motor Italia Yamaha teams, will have all-new bikes for 2007, Bayliss will ride the same Ducati 999 that he won 12 races and the championship on this year.
And Bayliss, who has won 34 WSBK races during his career and recently claimed his maiden Moto GP win on a one-off ride for Ducati in Valencia, thinks that this will put both him and team-mate Lanzi on the back-foot right from the start.
Bayliss added: "We haven't got a new bike, so we're going to have to get our heads down and really concentrate on settings.
"We can work a bit more on electronics but there's nothing else to come from the bike. I could probably lose some weight myself but I'm not really sure how much that will help. It's going to be very hard."