The MCE British Superbike Championship season ending ‘showdown’ kicks off this weekend and Shane Byrne is targeting title number five.

Assen plays host to the only non UK round of the season and the first of three rounds in the showdown where Shakey targets the fifth BSB title of his career.

Shakey the defending champion, arrives at the legendary Dutch circuit just two points adrift of the championship lead and with a huge determination to regain the advantage after returning to winning ways last time out at Oulton Park for PBM Kawasaki.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, he said: “We had a difficult few rounds but whenever things go bad I work even harder to turn it around and make it better. Before Oulton Park I worked so hard and so did the team and then we reaped the rewards with two wins.

“The last round was just what I needed on a personal level and showed that despite people questioning me and wondering if we had lost the plot, we were there and had never actually been away.

“I had been really frustrated and angry before Oulton Park because I knew I had worked as hard as I possibly could and was pushing to my maximum the whole time yet we had no speed. For that to be the case it left us questioning where is had gone wrong.

“Whilst it hasn’t been fun, it was good for us – it made us dig deep and with a completely new bike built and all our handling issues sorted we were instantly back in the game. From the first laps of Oulton Park I was happy and the bike felt completely my bike again – much to my relief!

“Looking at Assen I am just treating it as the next two races that we need to try and win. I know that at every event I am riding the best I can and that is the only way to be if you want to win a title. I know how hard both myself and the team have been working and to be honest I am feeling really relaxed and in the best possible place to start the Showdown now. We go to every race wanting to win and this weekend is no different.”

Images courtesy of www.pspimages.co.uk