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The Roman Emperor

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Now officially official, Max Biaggi has inked a contract with Aprilia Racing, which sees the 39-year-old Italian riding on the V4 of Aprilia for the next two years. Suggesting to the Italian press that he will ride with Aprilia until he retires, Biaggi and the Noale brand will defend both the Rider and Manufacturer World Superbike Championships next year.

Biaggi gave the WSBK press a collective heart attack this weekend when an announcement of his contract failed to materialize during a homecoming festival held in his honor at Aprilia’s home town of Noale. Whether Biaggi and Aprilia have made this announcement in response to the growing concern that The Roman Emperor would retire, we will probably never know, but regardless of how it came to be, the official press release is after the jump.

After all the hype in the Italian media about Friday’s festival in Noale to celebrate the World Superbike Championship victories of Max Biaggi and Aprilia Racing, Biaggi’s announcement for his contract renewal failed to materialize, much to our chagrin. With the build-up and rumors before the event suggesting, and some reputable publications downright saying (ourselves included, minus the reputable part) that Biaggi had signed again with Aprilia, and that the team was set to make the announcement in front of a huge home crowd, the absence of official statement has caused reactions that range the gamut of possibilities.

Some media sources say Biaggi and Aprilia didn’t want to announce the contract right before the MotoGP race at Phillip Island, while others say Biaggi is still holding out for more money. Taking things to the next level, other media outlets have even also gone on to suggest that this is further proof that the 38-year-old Biaggi is set to retire from racing altogether. Deciphering which outlet to believe at this point is really just guesswork, and seemingly everyone is trying to shoehorn their personal view to work with the facts available. And for now, the only fact is that an official announcement hasn’t been made.

Without giving too much away about this weekend’s WSBK race, Max Biaggi clinched the World Superbike Championship at Imola this weekend. For fans in Italy, this moment is being celebrated heavily, as an Italian rider, on an Italian bike, during an Italian race, has clinched a major championship title. For Biaggi fans, this title has been a long-time in the making, as The Emperor hasn’t won a championship title since his 250GP days.