At one stage this year it looked like the big Superstock class was going to become a benefit for a certain Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati). On his big vee-twin the first five races brought forth three wins and two second places for the tall Roman rider, but a no-score in round six at Silverstone proved to be a game changer.

Despite his incredible early season run Giugliano now finds himself only 11 points ahead of Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) and 21 points ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team).

Even riders like Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) and Niccolo Canepa (Lazio Motorsport Ducati) cannot be ruled out of the running yet, despite being 50 or so points behind as a few good results for them - and some bad luck for the riders up front - will bring them right back into play. There are, after all, four rounds left to run.

The top four riders have all scored at least one win, and six riders in total have scored a top three place of some value. The last races of the year promise even closer action than the first part, given the time each of the teams has had to recoup and reassess over the long summer break.

The sheer weight of the points balance indicates that the top three - Giugliano, Zanetti and Petrucci - will be the most likely potential champions but there is a lot of racing left to do in 2011.