Gordon Ritchie | November 29, 2009
Despite a long delay in the decision process at the top level of Piaggio management, Leon Camier is the rider who has been chosen to partner Max Biaggi in 2010.The news, albeit overdue, was expected and it left current British Superbike Champion Camier (who rode for the Aprilia team twice in 2009 in World Superbike) with two major emotional experiences.”Relieved is the main thing and massively excited at the 
same time,” said Camier. “I can’t wait to get started. There will be a press launch 
first then we go to Valencia to test on December 9 and 10. I only got 
in about 15 laps in in-between conditions at our Misano test last 
week. So this will be the first ride back on the bike properly. l can’t 
wait to carry on the progression where we left off. In these tests we 
can sort of try some bigger things, make some bigger changes and hope 
to get somewhere a bit quicker really. The only thing that makes much 
difference between my size and Max’s [Biaggi] is aerodynamics and suspension. 
The set-up of each bike would be specific to Max and me anyway, so 
that’s not a problem. I think if you are beating the Brits you will be 
beating most of them [the rest of the field]. There will be a lot of them about. I raced 
against most of them before and it is confidence inspiring for me to 
see them doing it and now I get the chance to be doing it too. It is a 
big old project for Aprilia and it is good to be involved in it and 
try to progress the bike and everything else to be winning races 
really.”Camier’s inclusion in World Superbike in 2010 brings the total of UK riders on top-level machinery up to six – Camier, Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki), Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati), Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike)
Gordon Ritchie | World Superbike Editor
You may not understand Ritchie and his Scottish accent if you had him on the phone, but you can definitely understand what he writes as our World Superbike editor.
