A small mistake in the ninth round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup championship at Magny-Cours today robbed Xavi of a certain podium place. Instead Xavi finished fifth, but with one of his main title rivals, (Brendan Roberts) no-scoring and another (Maxime Berger) only finishing eleventh, the damage was not as bad as it could’ve been.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto had his best weekend of the year since the opening round in Qatar, by taking a superb runner-up spot in race one at Magny-Cours today. Fonsi had started from the front row of the grid and spent most of the race fighting with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and eventual race winner, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha).

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto finally laid his Superpole demons to rest by setting the second quickest lap in the 16-rider Superpole shoot-out at Magny-Cours today. Fonsi had been fourth in regular qualifying, but stormed round the 4.411 kilometre circuit in 1:38.574 - a time bettered by just one tenth of a second by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha).

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavi Simeon had his first proper dry practice of the weekend so far and ended qualifying for the ninth round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup at Magny-Cours in third place.

The changing conditions throughout the first day of practice and qualifying disrupted proceedings so badly that no rider completed more than nine laps in the afternoon timed session. Qualifying had started dry, but after about ten minutes or so, the first rain shower fell, causing the field to scurry back to their garages.

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavi Simeon mastered the difficult conditions at Magny-Cours today and ended the day fastest of the 41-rider field. Xavi’s time of 1:54.552, was over a second ahead of his nearest rival Alessandro Polita (Ducati), with Brendan Roberts (Ducati) slotting into third quickest.

Last year’s race at Magny-Cours saw young German Max Neukirchner drafted into the team as a replacement for the injured Yukio Kagayama and he acquitted himself well by taking fourth place in the first race. The debut might have been ever better if he had not tangled with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) when he was on course for a superb podium.

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a gritty pair of fourths in the twelfth round of the Superbike World Championship at Vallelunga today. Despite not having a perfect bike set-up, the young German battled his way through both 24 lap races and took the best results he could. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama was disappointed to finish ninth in the first race, but improved to end race two in seventh.

After yesterday's appalling conditions, today dawned dry and fine and it was down to business as usual for Team Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner.

Today’s atrocious conditions hindered Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner, and none were able to finish in the top ten.

The twelfth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Vallelunga circuit, near Rome, this weekend and Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama and Max Neukirchner are all looking for good results after disappointment in the wet at Donington in the last round.

The Suzuki Alstare engine development chief, Bruno Bailly, visited during his portuguese holiday the Portimao circuit, still under construction a few weeks before the race week-end planned on November the 2nd 2008. For the opportunity, he played to be a spy and took several pictures to show where the works are now.