Italy’s national airline, Alitalia (CAI) as we all know by now, will be the title sponsor Aprilia’s World Superbike effort for the next two years.

Alitalia, who is still in the red (on Tuesday there was a 4 hour strike) will be spending three million euros to see the RSV4 machines ridden by Max Biaggi and Leon Camier with Alitalia tricolor livery, even if according to Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore, there was a foreign company who offered more than Alitalia to sponsor the team, but it was judged that bringing the two Italian brands together would be more profitable.

The all Italian alliance saw Roberto Colaninno through his IMMSI (50,009% owned) and share holder and chairman of Alitalia (7,08%) and who controls the the Piaggio Group (53,6%) abstain from voting on the sponsorship deal to avoid any conflict of interest …

Continue reading: Alitalia-Aprilia Racing Sponsorship

Remember the Dainese Legendary Tour? You had to buy € 250 worth of Dainese and/or AGV products and you could win a trip to Italy to tour the Italian Dolomite Mountains with Marco Lucchinelli, Max Biaggi and Giacomo Agostini.

Dainese has put online this highlight video of the 2009 tour, so we can turn green with envy about what we missed out on; magnificent motorcycles, legendary riding companions, breathtaking scenery (except for snow in September) great Italian food, heady wine, what more can anyone ask for.

Source | motoblog

Continue reading: Dainese 2009 Legendary Tour Video

After the official launch of the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team at Fiumicino airport in Rome last Tuesday, we’ve now got a rather long video, with a mix of past and present of Aprilia and Alitalia and with Max Biaggi and Leon Camier behind the commands of one Alitalia’s planes.

Continue reading: Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Launch Video

Our Italian cousins over at Motoblog were at the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team presentation that was held today at the airport of Fiumicino in Roma for the official unveiling of Aprilia’s RSV4 new Tricolour livery for the 2010 World Superbike Championship.

This livery, brings together two prestigious Italian brands with Italian energy giant ENI also sponsoring the superbike team that will see Max Biaggi in his second year with the team joined by British Superbike champion Leon Camier.

Continue reading: WSBK: Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team Unveiled

The slow wheels of justice aren’t limited only to Italy, it looks like the Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and likes to take its sweet time (7 months) before deciding on racing appeals as does Max Biaggi and Aprilia Racing about filing them.

Many of you may remember that after the carnage during Race 1 at Monza last year, the race had to be re-started and during the 7th lap Biaggi cut the Roggia chicane and after the race while heading to the podium to claim his third place, was stopped by the Race Direction and penalized twenty seconds which put Biaggi in 11th place in the race standings and bumping Ryuichi Kiyonari into third.

Understandably the Roman Emperor had a fit, claiming that the Race Direction had all the time to give him a ride through and that cutting the chicane didn’t gain him any advantage in the race.

The CAS has ruled against the appeal stating that it was filed too late, therefore inadmissable. Wonderful. You’d think that Aprilia’s lawyers could have checked out the CAS website or phoned to check about filing deadlines.

After the jump, CAS press release.

Continue reading: WSBK - Max Biaggi loses CAS Appeal for Monza Race

Just before Christmas we told you that former Ducati Xerox team manager Davide Tardozzi was heading to BMW, officially there’s no press release yet, but Tardozzi, speaking with Italian website gpone.com has confirmed that he will be infact in the WSBK paddock and manage the BMW team this year.

Here’s what Tardozzi had to say about his upcoming challenge and he’s very matter of fact about the work and the goals that he set out and wants to obtain with WSBK team:

“It won’t be our objective to win this year, but in 2010 we’ll try to do what Aprilia did in 2009. A couple of podiums and maybe a win so we can be ready to fight for the title in 2011.”

BMW has tied up the Italian manager for the next three years.

“BMW has been really great. They’ve given me the opportunity to move on at the end of 2010 if I want to, but they’ve also given me the option to stay on for another two years.”

Judging by his words Tardozzi is also looking towards the future and would like to run a MotoGP team one day and reading between the lines it looks like he wasn’t asked to replace Livio Suppo in Marlboro Ducati:

“In MotoGP? Why not? To be sincere it kind of upset me that … so if I have the opportunity… the new MotoGP rules will have 1000cc engine with a maximum bore of 81mm and the S1000 RR has 80. The biggest in production.”

Continue reading: WSBK: Tardozzi confirms BMW Move and Tips Championship between Ducati and Aprilia

Max Biaggi was the fastest man on track on the final day of WSBK unofficial testing at Valencia. The Roman Emperor did 55 laps and a best lap of 1.33”8 on race tires and breaking Noriyuki Haga’s race lap record that was 1’34”618.

Leon Haslam was second with a best lap of 1.34”0 taking off almost half a second after yesterday’s time. Another Brit was third, as Cal Cruthlow put in a best lap of 1′34.1 and Jonathan Rea, 4th and just one tenth of a second from the Yamaha rider, with his Honda Ten Kate.

James Toseland did over 60 laps and posted a best time of 1.34.3 making him fifth, while Max Neukirchner was sixth.

Sylvan Guintoli ended the test in seventh place on the Alstare Suzuki bettering yesterday’s lap time by over a second.

Continue reading: WSBK Valencia Test Day 2: Max Biaggi on Top

Aprilia’s first day (yesterday) of private testing was cut short due to fog at the Misano World circuit.

Max Biaggi didn’t even try to do a couple of laps, while Leon Camier, who stepped in for in the now retired Shinya Nakano, and yet to be confirmed by the factory Aprilia team, did 28 laps, some on rain tires with a best time of 1.40″20.

According to rumors, Camier should be announcing his signing with the Aprilia factory team after this two day test.

Alex Hofmann, Aprilia’s test rider also did a few laps in the morning, on rain tires with a 1’45.20 has his best time. According to Hofmann’s Twitter page, Alex 66, they even tried to dry the track by driving over it with rental cars.

Continue reading: WSBK - Aprilia Testing at Misano

Is Guandalini Racing going to switch to Aprilia’s RSV4 Factory next season? According to Italian website Sbk Point the only thing missing is the official press release.

Aprilia’s Giampiero Sacchi has said he was interested leasing their four cylinder RSV’s machines to a second team, but in recent months the idea seemed to pale, but in light of performances of the Aprilia, especially in the second part of the year with Max Biaggi taking fourth in the standings and Marco Simoncelli and Leon Camier’s performances, the Noale based manufacturer may have had a change of heart.

Czech rider Jakub Smrz has already been confirmed with Guandalini for 2010. While BSB 2009 Champion Leon Camier, who rode the final two rounds substituting Shinya Nakano, is still waiting to hear if he’ll be Max Biaggi team mate on the factory Aprilia WSB next year.

Source | sbkpoint

Continue reading: WSBK - Guandalini Racing to drop Ducati for Aprilia?

Aprilia’s Max Biaggi was present at the Suomy stand at the EICMA show and then went on to present the new Aprilia RSV4-R where the Italian took time out from signing autographs to talk to journalists about his first season with the new Aprilia Superbike team.

Biaggi took eight podiums and one win at Brno in Aprilia’s debut and finished fourth in the WSBK standings said: “I’m proud to ride for Aprilia, I’ve picked up where I left off with them, even if we haven’t reached the top yet. We constantly battled against opponents whose teams have years of experience in this championship and on these tracks. The RSV4 has grown during the year and that means that the development is going in the right direction and next year we’re looking forward to more podiums and wins.”

When asked about MotoGP, the Roman Emperor also said he wouldn’t even think of returning to that championship, and that he has other goals, and had some cutting words for the series and riders : “I find MotoGP very disappointing, I don’t like it, it isn’t exciting. In MotoGP there are certain riders who couldn’t win a race even in the Sport Production series” but had only words of esteem for 2009 WSBK Champion Ben Spies: “Spies is a talent, and has racing in his DNA, at Valencia he had a good race. He’s definitely a rider to keep an eye on, he can have excellent races.”

Continue reading: Max Biaggi: 'In MotoGP there are certain riders who couldn’t win a race even in the Sport Production series'

Not that we’re jealous or anything, but the guys at Motoblog.it got to see: Ben Spies‘ Superbike live, Max Biaggi’s Aprilia live, Troy Corser’s BMW live and new Superstock champion Xavier Simeon’s bike as well. The Akrapovic stand also has the (very hot) limited edition Akrapovic KTM RC8R 1190 on display.

Stand Akrapovic Eicma 2009

Continue reading: Akrapovic live at EICMA: Ben Spies, Max Biaggi and KTM limited edition on display

Ben Spies put one hand firmly on the title when Noriyuki Haga crashed out on the seventh lap while he was in sixth place in Race 1 at Portimao. Spies won the race and gained 25 points, fifteen more that Haga and needs just a 6th place in Race 2 to win the championship title

Spies won the race from pole position after getting the better of Jonathan Rea and Max Biaggi crossing the finish line with a 1.697 margin over Rea, second, who took advantage of an error by Biaggi. Shane Byrne took for fourth.

Fifth place went to Michel Fabrizio behind Bryne’s private Ducati. BSB champion Leon Camier took sixth on the Aprilia after climbing from 13th on the grid. Seventh went to Carlos Checa with Ruben Xaus on the BMW took eighth and Lagrive was ninth and Matteo Baiocco closed the top ten.

Continue reading: WSBK Portimao Race 1 – Spies wins and Haga crashes