Motorcycling's 'Mr Nice' takes Superbike Championship

In the motorcycling world, there aren't many riders like Carlos Checa left. He has been racing for the last 20 years, and on Sunday became the first Spaniard to win the Superbike World Championship, at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. Up and down the Superbike paddock, as well as in the MotoGP world, it's practically impossible to find anyone who has a bad word to say about the 38-year-old, who is originally from Sant Fruitós de Bages, in Barcelona.

Checa managed to sew up the title with one race left to run, and only needed to finish among the top 13 during the first of the two races run on Sunday to clinch the championship. But, such is his harmonious relationship with Ducati, he managed to bring the bike home in first place in both races, notching up his fifth double this season (he has won 14 of the 24 races run in 2011).

"Carlos works really hard," says Ramon Forcada, the chief mechanic of reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, speaking from Japan. "And physically he's at the top of his game. He's really nice too - the typical guy who brings out the best in people wherever he is. When he wins, everyone's happy. He has dedicated his life to motorbikes and he's had some tough times; he's had some good times too, but there have been difficult moments. He has kept on fighting to achieve his goal. Given his age, the easiest thing would have been for him to say, 'I'm going home,' but he's pushed himself until he managed it," said Forcada, who worked with Checa when he raced in MotoGP. "He's also a mechanic, so he wants to know exactly what it is that you're doing to his bike," he added.

Sunday will, without a doubt, count as one of those good days in his career, while the bad days are easily identified. It was back in 1998, at the British Grand Prix at Donington Park, when an accident nearly cost him his life - not to mention his spleen.

"That really affected me," he said Sunday. "I didn't have a cent to my name and I didn't know if I'd be able to carry on racing. That's why I haven't found it hard to manage my life. There have been years when I haven't even got paid," explained Checa, who received a whole host of congratulatory messages about his championship win.

"I'm really happy for him, he's a good friend," said Italian MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi on Sunday, speaking from the Motegi circuit in Japan. "[The title] is an Oscar for his career and he deserves it."

Spanish stars Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa also sent him messages of congratulation. "I've spent so many years racing that I know all of them very well," joked the new champion.