Thursday, October 1, 2009

Spies handed Toseland MotoGP ride

Portuguese MotoGP, Estoril
Date: 3-4 October
Saturday 3 October: Qualifying: 1250-1600, BBC Red Button/online Sunday 4 October: 250cc race: 1105-1205, BBC Red Button/online Race live: 1230-1400, BBC One/online, MotoGP Extra 1400-1430, Red Button/online, 125cc race: 1430-1530 BBC Red Button/online

James Toseland
Toseland won the World Superbike title in 2004 and 2007

Britain's James Toseland has lost his MotoGP ride with the Yamaha Tech 3 team to American Ben Spies.

Spies, who has won 12 World Superbike races for Yamaha this year, will be teamed with compatriot Colin Edwards.

Toseland, 28, has had two disappointing seasons in motorcycling's premier series after two World Superbike titles and is currently 13th in the standings.

Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal said: "I would like to thank James. It has been a privilege working with him."

Toseland, who said earlier this week that he would "bitterly disappointed" to be replaced, may now return to World Superbikes, possibly filling the Yamaha vacancy left by Spies.

Spies, 25, had been contracted to ride in World Superbikes for Yamaha again in 2010 with a deal to switch with them to MotoGP in 2011.

He said: "I want to thank Yamaha globally for their faith in me, they have treated me like royalty.

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"Yamaha just recently allowed me to re-think my contract for 2010-2011. I did sign for Superbikes for 2010 but I began thinking of the competition and my age and waiting until 2011.

"This was not an easy decision, the Yamaha World Superbike team crew have been fantastic and it's been great fun to put in a season together.

"I am hoping that I can give everyone else a championship to remember this year with me."

Spies is just three points behind leader Noriyuki Haga going into this weekend's World Superbike races at Magny-Cours in France.

Poncharal added: "It's a very exciting prospect having a rider of Ben's calibre join our team. Everybody is aware that he is a rider with incredible talent and huge potential.

"Colin and Ben together means Tech 3 will arguably field its strongest ever line-up and everybody in the team can look forward to 2010 with tremendous excitement and optimism."

In his two years in MotoGP, Toseland, who turns 29 on Monday, has never managed to finish a race higher than sixth.

This year, his chances of success were hampered by two major pre-season crashes which set back his preparations.

"Over the last 18 months I've given it my best shot, as I always do, and things haven't gone as well as I'd have liked," admitted the Sheffield rider.

ะพ 3:06 AM

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