James Toseland - World Champion
James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) secured the 2007 World Championship by a scant two points after another luckless raceday threatened to rob him of his hard won championship at one stage.
Early fog at the track took an age to clear and the first few races were delayed, jangling the nerves of all three potential championship winners. In the first race, a collision with Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) saw Toseland dead least after the first few corners, while one of his main championship rivals, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) scorched away to the first of two wins.
Going into race two Toseland rode sensibly behind the leading bunch to record a sixth place finish, and the ten points he gained for that position gave him a final season total of 415, to Haga's 413. Toseland thus gasped over the line to his second title win, but with eight race victories to his credit in 2007, one more than any other rider this year, his strong early season work ensured he would get his final reward, and the accolades of the 75,000 weekend crowd.
Biaggi finished the season third on 397 points, Bayliss fourth on 372, and Corser fifth on 296.
RACE ONE
A dramatic start to the first race, much delayed because of heavy fog, saw Toseland and Lanzi clash on the entry to turn one, Lanzi fall, Toseland pushed off track and Biaggi also being held up in the melee. Up front Haga made a clean start and led every lap bar the first, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) eventually 2.7 seconds down in second place. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) was hot on his compatriot's heels after a sometimes-tactile battle between the former world champions. Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra/Suzuki Germany) scored a fantastic fourth and looked set for a podium for much of the race. Fonsi Nieto's (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) top five finish was as unexpected as it was welcome by the neutrals, and made it four different bikes in the top five. Biaggi was sixth, Toseland seventh in the race.
RACE TWO
A much less busy race two was nonetheless a tense affair, with only Haga and Toseland able to win the title, but either was on course to lose it should they crash or break down. Haga was imperious at the front once more, scoring his second double of the season, to record six race victories in total. Biaggi was second, while Nieto showed his true credential to record his first podium of the year, scoring a brilliant and highly combative third after a sometimes-harsh fight with Corser. Toseland fought with Bayliss for a short time, but decided to let the Ducati rider go and concentrate on doing enough to win the title. With Lanzi missing the second race, and Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) posting an eighth and a tenth place finish, the Spaniard was overall sixth, on 201 points. Lanzi and Rolfo tied on 192 points, with Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) finishing the season with a tenth and a seventh. In the Manufacturers' Championship Yamaha finished with 467 points, Honda and Ducati both have 439, and Suzuki 419.
NEWS STAR BORN AT ALSTARE Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra/Suzuki Germany) was a revelation in race one to score fourth in race one, but pushed his front too hard in race two and fell. He was replacing Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) who was unable to ride due to injury. Neukirchner now finishes ninth overall, with the top ten being rounded out by local hero in France, Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), after he scored a ninth and an eighth place. He had to fight off a serious challenge in the final race by the man he demoted to 11th overall, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda). Nieto's third pushed him up to 12th overall, and Kagayama drops to 13th. Jakub Smrz (Caracchi Ducati) and Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha YZF Team) end the season tied on points, 66 apiece. Two good finishes today, in 12th and 11th, put Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) 16th, on 62 points.
2007 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING:
1) Toseland 415
2) Haga 413
3) Biaggi 397
4) Bayliss 372
5) Corser 296
6) Xaus 201
7) Lanzi 192
8 Rolfo 192
9) Neukirchner 149
10) Laconi 137
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