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By JESSE CECIL
After four years in the
wilderness, Alstare Suzuki
hopes Leon Haslam can
get the team back on top
in World Superbike
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T
he tension is palpable in the Alstare
Suzuki garage, but no higher than
the stakes. It’s the end of the last
practice session at the U.S. World Su-
perbike round and Alstare’s lead rider,
Leon Haslam, has a 15-point advantage over title
rival Max Biaggi. This is the team’s last opportunity to
solve any problems they have before qualifying, and
there are a few. Even so, this is far better than the posi-
tion they were in during their two previous visits here.

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3. (Left) With Syl-
vain Guintoli and
Leon Haslam,
Alstare Suzuki
has its strongest
lineup in years.
(Above) Guintoli
is still exorcising
the ghost of a
bad leg injury in-
curred last year.
L
ast year was a difficult one for Alstare Suzuki. Pre-
sumed title contender Max Neukirchner missed
much of the season with injuries, and the squad
struggled. Perched on a pit-row concrete barrier and
backlit by the late-day Utah sun, Alstare’s chief tech-
nician, Bruno Bailly, recalls the difficulty. “The feedback we got from
Yukio [Kagayama, Neukirchner’s then-teammate] and replacement
riders, it was horrible,” he says in French-accented English. “We
completely lost the way.” Further adding to the malaise, Alstare and
Neukirchner underwent a bizarre and ugly split at year’s end.
Alstare last won the World SBK championship in 2005 with Troy
Corser, but the Belgian operation has struggled ever since, finish-
ing last year as the lowest-placing factory effort (behind even some
privateer squads). That doesn’t sit well with the team, but its frustra-
tion changed to hope when Haslam signed on for this year.
RECONSTRUCTION
Held back by a largely undeveloped privateer Stiggy Honda,
Haslam hadn’t enjoyed a stellar 2009, finishing sixth on the year.
“By the end of the season, when funds were drying up with the
team, just to get in the top five was a big result,” the Brit explains.
“Once you’d been battling for seconds and thirds and finishing
there, to accept fifths and sixths … was quite tough.”
Haslam’s early release from the folded Stiggy team enabled
him to entertain offers from several squads, and he felt Alstare
offered the best package despite the trouble they’d experienced
in the last two seasons. Alstare boss Francis Batta saw enough
potential in Haslam’s extensive resume that they were anxious
to put a deal together.
What a difference half a year makes. Lounging in his rented mo-
tor home in the Miller pits, Leon is now a factory rider, and his de-
meanor resembles that of his predatory namesake: calm, in control,
and powerful. Haslam is king of his tarmac jungle.
“When you’re inside the paddock, you kind of know the
bikes, and the Suzuki always looked like a strong package,” he
explains. “It was a little bit unknown, especially coming into this
team. You never know how you’re going to go, and as it hap-
pened, it went really well.”
To partner with Haslam, Alstare hired Sylvain Guintoli. A for-
mer Grand Prix rider, the Frenchman had ridden a Worx Crescent
Suzuki well in last year’s British Superbike Series until another
racer took him out in an accident that left Guintoli’s leg badly bro-
ken below the knee. “I had twelve operations, and grafts,” Sylvain
says in Utah, grimacing at the memory. “It was not good at all. It
was a disaster. I didn’t know if I could race again.”
Though Sylvain’s confidence had been down, his early suc-
cesses attracted the attention of Batta, who was looking for some-
one who could handle a GSX-R1000 at speed. Sylvain’s decision
was easier than Haslam’s. Given his situation, he thought it was a
joke when Alstare made contact; only a call from Batta convinced
him, and he accepted without hesitation.
Haslam meshed with the Suzuki machinery almost immediate-
ly. “Literally, at the end of the two-day test, I was less than a tenth
off the quickest time and, I think, 1.8 seconds quicker than Spies’
lap record,” Haslam says. “Straight away, I was quite happy.”
Bailly elaborates: “Now with Leon we get a very good rider.
He’s so good about the feedback. He feels very well the complete
bike—not only the chassis, but also the engine and electronics, so
it was a big help for us to improve the bike.”
Though not quite on Haslam’s pace, Guintoli also adapted
well, and during the season-opening round at Phillip Island, the
team furthered its claim as a series frontrunner. Leon landed both
his first SBK pole position and first victory in Race 1, while Guintoli
led much of the second outing before taking fourth.
REBIRTH
“Biaggi crashed!” Haslam yells. His normally calm voice carries
an excited edge as heads swivel to the team’s closed-circuit
television. Among those in the Alstare garage are Leon’s fiancée,
Olivia, and his father, former Grand Prix racer Ron Haslam. Both
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attend every race; Ron typically circles
the track on a scooter, filming his son
and other riders for later analysis, while
Oli tends to Leon’s personal needs like
hydration and helmets. Leon benefits
greatly from their tireless presence.
The final practice session before
qualifying is nearing its end, and Biaggi
(who rode for Alstare in 2007) has made
the first major mistake of the weekend.
Fortunately, the Roman is okay, and al-
though Haslam’s crew has sorted out a
vibration issue, they’re now fighting a
problem with heavy mid-corner turn-in.
On the other side of the garage, Sylvain
had struggled early with inconsistency
under hard braking, but he seems to
have progressed through that. Still, nei-
ther rider is exactly where he’d like to be going into Superpole
1, and the team works in silence that’s interrupted only by the
occasional roar of an engine bouncing off its rev-limiter as a
bike exits the pits, reminding everyone of their competition.
Since that early success in Australia, Leon has ridden like a
champion, taking the points lead with two additional wins and six
podiums, then patiently extending it. Biaggi is equipped with the
grid’s fastest bike, the Alitalia Aprilia RSV-4, but although he has
been untouchable at some races, Haslam has remained close,
making Max fight for every point.
Sylvain, meanwhile, has struggled to repeat his race-leading
form, and that has been frustrating. “We were very surprised dur-
ing Phillip Island, because he did very beautiful races and now he
struggles a little bit,” Bailly says. “But we have confidence.”
The team plays it close in the three-round qualifying system,
which rewards strategy, consistency, and outright speed. After a Su-
perpole 3 red flag prevents him from completing his best lap, Haslam
earns the first spot on the second row, whereas Guintoli is eliminated
at the end of Superpole 2 when he comes up just .02 seconds short.
His pace is strong, but the class is so competitive that a miniscule
mistake can cost four places, which is exactly what happens. Biaggi
gets his hot lap in and will start from second position.
STUMBLING BLOCKS
Race day is also Haslam’s 27th birthday, and wanting only two
podiums as a gift, he pushes hard when the lights go out. His
Race 1 efforts are hampered when Jakub Smrz’s blown engine
lays down a smoke screen on lap one, but Leon battles forward
to a runner-up finish behind Biaggi. Race 2 is disastrous, as
Haslam crashes out while charging up from another bad start,
leaving Biaggi to march to a Utah double. Following a 30-point
turnaround for the day, Max now leads Leon by 15. Guintoli goes
8-6 on the day, retaining eleventh in points.
Miller has dealt a big blow to Alstare Suzuki, but as the team
heads into the season’s second half, members needn’t look far
for inspiration. Every champion faces setbacks during a title
campaign, and as Alstare itself has proven over the past few
months, the team is capable of running with anyone..
A crash at the USA
round proved costly
for Haslam, who lost
the series points
lead, but he’s deter-
mined to get back on
top over the second
half of the season.
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