Surprise crashes and lead changes stole the show at the World Superbike race in Nurburgring, Germany, this last weekend.
Aprilia rider Max Biaggi made the most of the tumultuous day at the motorsports track, winning the first moto and finishing 13th in the second to jump past Marco Melandri in the points standings. Melandri had falls in each race that eventually cost him his championship lead.
"It’s just a happy moment to be here," said Biaggi. "The result is the best that we can do, so we can be proud of all the work we did during the weekend. We keep improving the bike especially in the set-up. Overall I could ride well even though it was slippery, basically I could set good lap times."
The surprises didn't stop there. Biaggi crashed in the opening lap of the second race but rebounded to complete the moto. His Aprilia teammates also managed to open some eyes during the weekend.
Together they managed the first podium sweep for the manufacturer, as Eugene Laverty and Chaz Davies finished second and third behind Biaggi in the first moto. Davies and Laverty were also the top two finishers in the second race, with Davies taking the overall win for the day.