Leon Haslam heads into the Nilox Portuguese Round in much better shape than at Donington two weeks ago, having contested his home event in some pain following a heavy crash at the previous race meeting in Italy.

Haslam suffered three cracked ribs when he crashed in Imola’s second race, which remains the Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils rider’s only non-finish of 2015.

“I can't wait for Portugal,” says the Englishman. “The ribs are still a little sore but so much better than Donington. Also, this is a track on which we managed a few laps in pre-season testing and the feeling was really good.

“I have been fourth in the last few races and I really feel we can get back on the podium in Portugal. It's a very demanding circuit where Aprilia has won in the past, so this gives a lot of confidence going into the weekend.”

This weekend’s races will be the 19th and 20th for World Superbike in Portugal, with the first Algarve event having been in 2008. As a nation, Portugal previously hosted two WorldSBK rounds at Estoril, in the respective 1988 and 1993 seasons.