Spies backed by former team-mate

Yamaha sensation Ben Spies has been tipped to win the 2009 FIM World Superbike Championship "with two rounds to spare" by his his former AMA Superbike Championship team-mate Mat Mladin.

Mladin and Spies dominated the American series over past few years, sharing four titles between them prior to Spies' step up to the world stage at the start of this season.

The Texan made a dream start to his new life in WSB as he claimed victory in the second race at Phillip Island in Australia last weekend, and Mladin believes the result is a sign of things to come.

"It was a good result for him," Mladin told www.speedtv.com.

"I've been saying for a long time that he's a fantastic motorbike rider and he has a bright future.

"People have asked me how I thought he was going to go this year - I been asked that a lot the past few months once they started testing and his name started popping up at the top of the timesheets. And I've said he's going to win the world championship with two rounds to spare.

"He's doing very well and he's going to do well. He's going to be world champion this year. Good on him."