The opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Philip Island proved that this year's racing is full of stiff competition. Seventeen riders are on the scoreboard, and all of them are hopeful for podium spots as the WSBK pulls into Portimao, Portugal.
Riders will head to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, an undulating track that is only two years old and 4.592 km (2.85 miles) long. Teams got a chance to ride at Portimao earlier this year, but the conditions were less than favorable.
If there was a favorite to win this years race at Portimao, it would have to be Michelle Fabrizio. Fabrizio won at Portimao just five months ago, and is riding for the Ducati Xerox team which has done well at Portimao in recent years. Not to mention the foul taste of two narrow defeats during the opening weekend at Philip Island. Farbrizio was claimed the winner at the end of race one, but after a photo finish review, the number one spot went to Leon Haslam, who won the race by the smallest margin in WSBK history. Fabrizio came in second again in race two. You can bet that he is aiming for first place points in Portugal. 
“I'll be looking for race wins. I need to consolidate the strong start that we've made, because this year will inevitably be a very long and hard-fought competition,” said Fabrizio.
Despite Fabrizio’s determination, there will be some stiff competition at Portimao. 15 riders going into this weekends race have climbed to the top of the podium at least once, and two have been crowned WSBK champions. Leon Haslam is coming off a spectacular maiden victory, and Jonathon Rea was the fastest around the Portimao track in January during testing.
“I’ve been working hard away from the track on my fitness and conditioning and I know that the guys have been working equally hard back at the workshop, getting a bike together that we know can work at European tracks,” said Rea. “I like Portimao and we had a good test there in January, so we’ll be looking for podium finishes as that’s what we need to be doing now.”
As the time to Portimao continues to dwindle, teams are racing to make last minute improvements and substitutions. Kawasaki’s Chris Vermuelen, who suffered a bad crash at Phillip Island and injured his knee, is still questionable for the Portugal race. Vermuelen says that he is hopeful to race, but there has been no official word about his entry.
BMW Reitwagen was forced to make a substitution as Roland Resch was forced out of the WSBK due to a collar bone injury. Makoto Tamada will be stepping in to take his place. Tamada has three WSBK victories under his belt, but it will be the first time he rides BMW’s S1000RR.
What Riders are Saying
“Portimao is a fantastic circuit and probably the most demanding one on the calendar. I think all riders like it because it is such a challenge and when you do a good lap there, the feeling is fantastic. I went well there in the pre-season tests and I will be chasing two more podiums for sure.” - Leon Haslam, Suzuki Alstare.
“I had a few problems during the races at Phillip Island as I had crashed that morning in warm-up, hurting my right arm and lower back. The injuries made it hard for me to keep pace with Michel, Checa and Haslam and so I was fairly happy with my results and the points gained. Now I’m feeling a lot better and am looking ahead to the coming weekend – I haven’t had the best luck at the track over the last two years, so it’s not my favorite but we hope to score two good results.” - Noriyuki Haga, Ducati Xerox.
“It has been a long break since the first race and I am itching to get back in the saddle and 
racing again. Portimao is a great track, but very, very challenging. I think it is one of the best race tracks in the series and I will be doing my very best to get on the podium there.” - Sylvain Guintoli - Suzuki Alstare.
"I am grateful to Team Reitwagen BMW for giving me this opportunity to race with them in Portimao. Although this will be my first time racing a BMW, I have seen what it can do and am confident that I can ride it at its full potential."- Makoto Tamada, BMW Reitwagen.
One thing is clear: I know that I'm capable of setting fast lap times without any problems. And that's why I'm feeling confident. I'm looking forward to Portimão. The track is like a rollercoaster and I like it a lot. It's really varied; there are a lot of fast corners, but also some slower ones. You take some of them blind, so as a rider you have to be able to rely totally on your skill and intuition. Portimão is certainly one of the most exciting venues in the championship." - Ruben Xaus, BMW Mottorrad.
Points
Riders:
1. Haslam 45; 2. Fabrizio 36; 3. Checa 34; 4. Haga 27; 5. Guintoli 23; 6. Rea 23; 7. Biaggi 19; 8. Corser 16; 9. Camier 10; 10. Lanzi 9.
Manufacturers:
1. Ducati 45; 2. Suzuki 45; 3. Honda 23; 4. Aprilia 19; 5. BMW 16; 6. Yamaha 7; 7. Kawasaki 3
