Haga joins Renegade for Superbike return.

Today at FGSport's headquarters in Rome, Noriyuki Haga signed to ride in the 2004 World Superbike championship for Renegade Ducati, alongside Leon Haslam.

28-year-old Haga has previously raced for Yamaha and Aprilia in WSBK (lower pics), and taken eleven wins. He will test his new Ducati 999 RS for the first time at Valencia on February 2-3.

"I am really happy to be returning to the Superbike World Championship and to be riding a Ducati for the first time in 10 years!" said "Nitro Nori', whose past SBK battles elevated him to hero status - but were never translated into GP success. "I can promise my fans that I have not lost my exciting style and I intend to finally claim the WSBK title."

"In Haga and Haslam I believe we have a very formidable partnership to contest the 2004 Superbike World Championship," added Renegade team principal Mark Griffiths. "The tyre rule enables fair competition for everyone, and we are delighted to be joining the series perhaps at the beginning of a new era for WSBK."

The return of the 'Samurai of Slide' - who rode alongside Colin Edwards at Aprilia in MotoGP last season - is also a further welcome boost for WSBK, and comes only weeks after fellow former MotoGP star Garry McCoy confirmed he will ride for the NCR Ducati outfit.

It means that, while Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus have left the series, they have now been replaced by two of roadracing's most exciting riders - both famous for their aggressive tyre-smoking styles - and tipped to challenge the new line-up of James Toseland and France's Regis Laconi at Ducati Fila.

"We are delighted to welcome back Noriyuki Haga to World Superbike," said FGSport CEO Paolo Flammini. "He is a Superbike symbol and we are sure he will grant the fans unmatchable emotions throughout the current and future seasons."

The opening round of the 2004 WSBK season takes place at Valencia on February 29th, with the final pre-season test session taking place two weeks before.