by Mike Nicks
Who will the Ten Kate team find to replace
James Toseland on their Honda Fireblade? It could be a tough search – not aided by the fact that the World Superbike Championship is currently dominated by talented but ageing riders who are approaching the end of their careers.
Noriyuki Haga, Max Biaggi, and the Troys, Corser and Bayliss, have all been up there a long time. Below them in age rank there are gritty riders like the Spaniard
Ruben Xaus – but you can't really see him maturing into a consistent championship contender.
Ten Kate could of course promote their Supersport wonderboy, the Turkish rider
Kenan Sofuoglu. But you can't expect him to switch to 1,000cc power and win in the first season. Honda will apparently give
Ryuichi Kiyonari promotion to the world stage in 2008, but he'll have new circuits to learn and again, only riders of truly genius talent win first time out in a major series.
Which brings up a couple of MotoGP names. The wily Alex Barros: a vet, but he has already competed on a Honda in WSBK and could just do the job. And
Colin Edwards, who just happened to call into Ten Kate's hospitality unit at the
Silverstone round of the WSBK circus earlier this year. Just to talk about golf, obviously…
Yamaha are declining to say how their MotoGP line-up of four bikes will be organised in 2008. New boy
Jorge Lorenzo may not be paired with seven-times champion
Valentino Rossi, it seems. And who will partner Toseland?
All this might just mean good news for Britain's new wave of youngsters. Jonathan Rae, currently on a roll in BSB, has the mark of something special about him, and it would help his career if he jumped to WSB next year. Leon Haslam, now performing strongly again after an uncertain start to the season, would fit well in WSB. Leon Camier, highly rated by many people, could end up there.
James, you may have done more than just yourself a favour by splitting for
MotoGP...
