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Defending MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden is looking to put his poor start to the season behind him with a positive result in the Italian GP this weekend.

Little has gone right for Hayden since he beat Valentino Rossi to the title in the last race of 2006, as he was first forced to take a hiatus from riding in the winter while recovering from surgery and has since failed to finish higher than seventh in any races this season.

The Honda man is currently in 11th place, having retired from the recent French GP after falling from his bike, but he is still eagerly looking forward to racing in front of the passionate crowd at Mugello, where he hopes to make amends for his latest setback.

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He admitted: "The result in Le Mans was a disappointment, but I told the team that one was down to me.

"So I need to make it up to the boys this weekend and try to get a good finish. I'm looking forward to Mugello; we'll see what we've got when we get there."

Hayden described the track itself as "about as good as it gets because it's got a little bit of everything", although he also noted that his bike will have to be equipped to negotiate both its bumpy surface and its many changes in direction.

His record in Mugello is no more than solid, with last year's visit bringing him his first podium there in four attempts, but with 72 points now separating him from present leader Casey Stoner, the American badly needs a repeat performance this time around.

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