WSBK Misano: Bayliss On Title Charge

Aussie Troy Bayliss is back on the title trail after snatching a double victory at the new back-to-front Misano circuit. He is now just 21 points behind James Toseland, with both equal on 5 wins this season.
Nori Haga is 5 points behind the Ducati rider, but would have been ahead if it hadn't been for a crash with Max Biaggi in race one. The Roman Emperor was in 3rd and looking to take 2nd from his Japanese opponent. Unfortunately, Max was a little ambitious, and was probably caught out by the unique racing lines that Haga tends to invent for himself. Nori was livid, kicking gravel at the Italian as they picked themselves up and later claiming that what made him really angry was the lack of an apology.
Nori is no stranger to taking out other riders with ill-judged moves, but being Japanese he is of course scrupulously polite. Max, on the other hand, retreated back into the paranoid shell that he inhabited in his MotoGP years, saying that he was sorry for himself and sorry for Haga. That's about as close as you'll get to an admission of guilt from the Roman. Haga would probably know this if he had been racing with Max during his brief stint in Grands Prix rather than destroying a record number of terrifyingly expensive bikes while Max battled for wins. Best to let the incident slide and get on with it.
In race two, Haga made a very forceful pass to get by Max as if to prove a point. The two finished 2nd and 3rd, as they probably should have done in race one.
Toseland had a miserable weekend, complaining of chatter from his Honda. The Englishman will have to get back to his winning ways if he wants a second championship title, because Bayliss is on the move, and looking unstoppable.