FRENCH FINALE THE ICING ON A SPICY SUPERBIKE TREAT Magny Cours may not decide the outcome of the 2005 World Superbike crown itself, but for all the leading competitors the last race of the year will offer a final opportunity to prove a point – on many different levels. At Imola in the previous round the championship was decided in favour of Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) in front of 78,000 spectators. After torrential rains flooded significant parts of the track, Corser was awarded the crown when the second race of the day was cancelled, and his lone remaining rival Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) no longer had a chance of making up the points deficit to Corser. Both the champion and runner-up are secure in their relative positions, but each will be out to score the psychological advantage over the other in France.

THIRD PLACE TO BE CONTESTED FOUR WAYS Such has been the recent level of competition behind the leading duo that no fewer than four riders will be vying for an overall third place finish. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) is the form rider of the moment in this quartet, having scored seven of his eight podiums (including two wins) since his opening victory at Brno in late August. Haga is 27 points to the good compared to his closest challenger, with a maximum of 50 points up for grabs for any rider who can secure both French wins.
James Toseland (Ducati Xerox) has a single race win to his credit this year, but Magny-Cours proved to be a talisman for the young Brit last year, when he secured the 2004 World Championship from his team-mate, Regis Laconi (Ducati Xerox). Laconi sits fifth in the title chase, only some seven points from Toseland. Neither of these riders is guaranteed to keep his place for 2006, thus their personal Magny-Cours battle will have equal significance to their 2004 duel.
Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) has had some up and down fortunes this year, despite the stunning championship start of a race win in Qatar. Some 43 points from Haga’s current total, he is in the least advantageous position to secure a top three finish, needing disaster to befall his opponents, and take at least a win and a second place for his own part.


KAWASAKI GOING FOR TOP SEVEN STATUS Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) has shown both himself and his Kawasaki in a good light this year, reaching podium status at Valencia and now sitting seventh in the championship fight. He is only three points up on Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) with SBK legend Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) ninth, only 12 points from Pitt. The current top ten features Lausitzring race winner, and class rookie, Lorenzo Lanzi (SC Caracchi Ducati). Lanzi is one of seven individuals who have taken at least one race win this season so far, with Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all powering to victory.

MIDFIELD BATTLE BEFORE END OF SEASON TRUCE IS DECLARED Outside the top ten the fight for championship places is intensifying, with lots of possible movements before the end of racing on Sunday. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) is only one place and one point up on Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) with another SBK rookie Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) 13th. Bertocchi Kawasaki rider Giovanni Bussei is out of the reckoning for any realistic improvement on his current 14th placing, with the last man in the top 15, Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji), 12 points down on the Italian at present.

PETRONAS ATTACK MAY BE BLIGHTED BY INJURY Garry McCoy (Petronas FP-1) may not be fit for the season-ending Magny Cours, race, having broken his coccyx at Imola in qualifying. His team-mate Steve Martin was a magnificent – and season best – fifth at Imola, proving that the often troubled Petronas project is making continual strides forward. Martin has moved to 17th in the overall championship.

WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) had declared his intention to ride at Magny-Cours if at all possible, despite damaging tendons in his shoulder after taking pole and then crashing at Imola. The 2005 champion has seen his good fortune, but not his speed, evaporate after securing the title at Assen, but he is determined to celebrate his championship win by riding in front of his adoring fans in France. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) has secured second in the championship battle, but third place is within the reach of three riders - Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda), Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda. All of the aforementioned riders, bar Fabrizio, have won races this year, as has SC Caracchi Ducati rider Gianluca Nannelli, who bounced back from injury to record the win at Imola last weekend. Despite Charpentier’s brilliance and huge points haul of 210, Nannelli’s victory made him the fifth rider to have secured a 2005 race victory, on the third different type of machine.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Didier van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany) jumped to the top of the table in the large capacity Superstock category after his team-mate and long time leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) crashed out of the Imola race. Aussie Craig Coxhell (EMS Racing Suzuki has a 13 point disadvantage to overcome to crown himself champion, and only the three previously mentioned riders can now win the overall trophy. All six top riders in the series have won at least one race, in a season which has been arguably more unpredictable than any since the inception of the class in 1999.

SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Claudio Corti (Trasimeno Yamaha) came close to sealing the 600cc Superstock championship at Imola, but missed out by a single point, as Yoann Tiberio (Team Italia Megabike Junior) won the race itself. There are now 24 points between Corti and Tiberio, with only a maximum of 25 available for the winner of the French race. Maxime Berger (MB Racing) has elevated himself to third, some 20 points ahead of his nearest challenger.