Bill completes Bike It Dixon Yamaha line-up.

Bike It Dixon Yamaha has penned the signature of twenty-two-year old Swiss Motocross Champion Julien Bill to front the team's MX1 assault of the 2006 World Motocross Championship.

Bill, who narrowly missed out on the MX3 world title with KTM this year, will ride Yamaha's new YZ450 four-stroke machine with engine support for Rinaldi.

"I get on really well with my new team-mate Billy Mackenzie back from the days we trained together at Harry Everts camps," said Julien. "I'm really looking forward to an exciting season racing the British championship as I know that it's possibly the most demanding championship in Europe outside of the grand prix series.

"I will still be based in Belgium so it's only a short journey to test and race, but for me it's a big challenge and it's great to be racing the MX1 World championship with a new bike and an established team, I can't wait to start testing," he grinned.

Team manager Steve Dixon was delighted with his new signing and the new challenge ahead of making Bill a regular MX1 top ten scorer for 2006.

"With the MX1 being so competitive next year it's going to be tough to break the top group, but I'm sure we will see the determination of Julien show that he has the ability to become one of the new top MX1 riders of the future," he said. "He firmly believes in himself and that he can compete at the top level against the likes of Yamaha's nine-times world champion Stefan Everts, he is not daunted by the hard work that lies ahead of him."

Lining up along side Billy Mackenzie (MX2) and Julien Bill will be Ulster champ, Martin Barr - the ever improving 18-year-old from Belfast will be hoping to start the season on the form he has shown during the last few championship events in England and the final round of the grands prix at Desert Martin.

Mackenzie will again compete in the world and domestic national MX2 class championships and will have the full factory support of the Rinaldi group for his attempt at the World Championship.

Billy, who is still only 21-years of age, will enter his eighth season with the Dixon owned and managed team and he is as determined as ever to put a consistent season together with strong results and more podium glory.