Rubén Xaus

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Rubén Xaus
Rubén Xaus
Nationality	Spanish
Date of birth	February 18, 1978 (1978-02-18) (age 30)
Place of birth	Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalunya (Spain)


Website	rubenxaus.net
SBK Record
Current team	Sterilgarda Go Eleven
Bike number	111
World Championships	0
Race starts	130
Race Wins	10
Podium finishes	34
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	13

2008 Championship position	5th (68pts)

Rubén Xaus (born 18 February 1978 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) is a motorcycle road racer, presently competing in the Superbike World Championship

His father who competed in amateur mountain bicycle races, gave Xaus his first motorcycle at the age of five, a Montesa 25cc. Aged 14 he was racing dirt-bikes, but his father convinced him to turn his attentions towards road racing. Xaus took part in the 125cc Catalan Championship, the 125cc Solo Moto Criterium, and that same year he took victory in the 80cc Catalonia Supermoto Championship.

In 1994 he competed in the Open Ducados Supersport series in Spain – finishing 17th place, improving to third the following year. In 1995 he entered the FIM Thunderbike trophy and contested four 250cc Grand Prix. Xaus finished sixth in Thunderbike in 1996, moving to World Supersport in 1997 taking 17th overall.

In 1998 he rode in the German Pro-Superbike series, taking sixth, with the clear intention of preparing himself for the Superbike World Championship. In 1999 he finished fifth in the Supersport World Championship, taking his first ever victory at Misano. In 2000 he rode one of the official Ducati factory team Supersport bikes, finishing seventh and taking one victory.

For 2001 he moved to the factory Ducati superbike team in partnership with then-champion Troy Bayliss. He struggled early in the season, with a best result of 5th from the first 8 meetings. However, in race 2 at Oschesleben he became the first Spaniard ever to take victory in the Superbike World Championship. A pair of 2nds at Assen (helping Bayliss to clinch the title) and a second win at Imola gave him sixth to in the championship. Sixth place in 2002 was followed by fifteen podiums and seven victories in 2003, finishing runner up to team mate Neil Hodgson

Xaus made his move into the MotoGP World Championship in 2004 as part of the satellite D'Antin Ducati team. The team was grossly under funded and could not afford testing time, but Xaus adapted better to the situation than team mate Hodgson. Consistent points-scoring performances and a debut podium at Qatar saw him snap up the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title and 11th place overall in the championship standings. In 2005 he moved to the Fortuna Yamaha Team to ride alongside his friend Toni Elías. But a more pronounced power delivery and difficult chassis, and Xaus's charging/forced riding style meant he looked a different rider to the one of 2004, and he crashed numerous times.

For 2006 he returned to the Superbike World Championship, with a ride for the new Italian satellite Ducati team Sterilgarda Berik, alongside Marco Borciani. He twice set the fastest lap, but his fast charges often ended in crashes, and he was only 14th overall.

He ended the 2007 season 6th with a total 201 points (next behind the former world champion Troy Corser), scoring one victory in Valencia.

For 2008 Ruben will be Max Biaggi's team mate, riding a Ducati 1098R for Sterilgarda-GoEleven.

On 16 March, 2007 Xaus married long term partner Maria. The wedding was held in Andorra, where the couple live with their daughter Julia, born November 2006^[1].