Coincidentally or not, the new deal extends to the very date Aprilia's contract with Alitalia runs out, so we're thinking the 39-year old rider may have been a big part of the latter's plans in the series.
Aprilia entered the World Superbike Championship a year ago, in 2009, but it was only this year that they really started to make a difference in the series. Biaggi had the campaign of his dreams so far, recording 9 wins and leading the championship by a massive 60 points with 3 rounds to go.
Biaggi is by far the winningest WSBK rider this season, as he also boosted Aprilia into 1st place in the manufacturers' classification. In only its second year in the series, the Italian bike maker is leading from Suzuki by 53 points. As a comparison, Aprilia ranked 4th overall last year, same as Biaggi, but the Italian managed his first and only win of the season at Brno.
Of course, Aprilia are yet to make an official announcement on the extension, but the Italian media suggests the deal is imminent. Not only that, but it appears the Italian team is also quite satisfied with rookie rider Leon Camier, whose contract will likely be renewed for the 2011 campaign. In case the rumors turn out to be true, Aprilia will become the first manufacturer to confirm its lineup for the upcoming season so soon.
Camier is currently 9th overall, having scored 2 podiums in 18 races so far.
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