There will be six British riders on this year’s grid following the musical chairs that the end of season always brings and World Superbike welcomes Eugene Laverty who joins the Yamaha Sterilgarda team, stepping up from the World Supersport Championship where he raced last year.

Two British riders who have moved on from WSB this season are Cal Crutchlow who moves up to MotoGP and Shane Byrne who returns to British Superbike.

The winner of last season’s opener at Phillip Island, Leon Haslam, will race this season alongside former double champion Troy Corser aboard the BMW Motorrad Motosport.

After finishing ninth on his return to the World Championship last season, former double champion James Toseland will be racing for the factory-supported BMW Motorrad Italia team.

Remaining British riders Leon Camier (Aprilla Alitalia Racing), Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate), and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) all remain with the same teams from last season.

Once again there will be LIVE coverage from every round on British Eurosport, with all European rounds being shown in high definition on Eurosport HD. Every Superbike, Superstock and Supersport race will also be available LIVE online via the Eurosport Player.

Presenter Tony Carter will front British Eurosport’s studio coverage and will be joined by guests Neil Hodgson, James Haydon and a host of other special guests throughout the season. Commentary duo Jack Burnicle and James Whitham will return for another season behind the mic, guiding fans through all the action.

Saturday 26 February

0400-0500 LIVE Superpole on British Eurosport 2

0730-0830 Superpole on British Eurosport

1930-2030 Superpole on British Eurosport

Sunday 27 February

0050-0200 LIVE Race one on British Eurosport

0215-0315 LIVE Supersport race on British Eurosport

0430-0530 LIVE Race two on British Eurosport

1000-1130 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

1400-1630 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

Chris Vermeulen - WSB Kawasaki 2010

It has been announced that the World Superbike Kawasaki rider Chris Vermeulen is to be out of the series for up to six months as he recovers from his injuries.

The Australian had previously decided to sit out the rest of the 2010 season and is to undergo keyhole surgery on his injured knee this week.

Vermeulen received the injury five-months ago at the Phillip Island round of the World Superbike championship which was aggravated when he crashed again at the Brno circuit.  The surgery will concentrate on repairing two of the three damaged ligaments in his right knee but it is the recovery period that will require the time to heal properly which led to his decision to sit out the remainder of the year to enable him to be fit for the 2011 season.

Akira Yanagawa has been named as the replacement rider for Vermeulen at the Silverstone circuit on the 1st August, suggesting that the team may still be looking for a full-term replacement for the remainder of the season.

The 39-year-old Japanese rider has previously been on the starting grid of the World Superbike championship over 100 times, achieving 20 podium finishes with 3 of them being on the top step from 1997 until 2001.

Since 2001, Yamagawa has been on hand as a test and development rider for the former MotoGP crew but is excited to be once again riding in the World Superbike series especially on British soil.

Jonathan Rea - Hanspree Ten Kate Honda 2010

Jonathan Rea claimed victory in the opening race at Brno yesterday while Max Biaggi took the chequered flag in race two of the day.

Race One

It was the Aprilia of Max Biaggi that took to the front of the pack as the first race of the day got underway at the Brno circuit but before the end of the lap he had been passed by the Hanspree Ten Kate Honda of Jonathan Rea.  At the final bend of the first lap, Rea went around the outside of the Italian rider to put his machine in front and never looked back.

Biaggi was then passed by Cal Crutchlow on the following lap before Ruben Xaus put his machine in front of the Aprilia rider on lap 4.  The Italian rider soon returned to form and retook Xaus on lap 6 before finally catching and passing Crutchlow with only 4 laps of the race to run.

Rea crossed the line to claim his third win of the 2010 season ahead of Max Biaggi in second.  Crutchlow finished in third place followed by Sylvain Guintoli in fourth, Ruben Xaus in fifth, Noriyuki Haga in sixth and  James Toseland in seventh.

Leon Haslam finished down in eighth place after qualifying in fourteenth on the grid ahead of Carlos Checa in ninth and Lorenzo Lanzi in tenth.

The Kawasaki rider Chris Vermeulen, was involved in a three-bike pile-up at the first corner of lap 1 with Max Neukirchner and Jakub Smrz.  All three failed to return to the track with Vermeulen once again re-injuring his knee that was originally damaged at the first round of the 2010 championship at Phillip Island and it has since been announced that he is to miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes corrective treatment.

Troy Corser withdrew from the Brno round of the championship after suffering concussion and a chest injury following his accident in qualifying but his hoping to be fully fit for the Silverstone round.

Here are the results;

1. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 20 Laps
2. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 +2.518s
3. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +4.071
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.160s
5. Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR +8.602s
6. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198 +11.379s
7. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +11.513s
8. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +16.487s
9. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198 +20.829s
10. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198 +25.164s
11. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R +32.602s
12. Shane Byrne GBR Althea Ducati 1198 +36.748s
13. Broc Parkes AUS Echo-CRS Honda CBR1000RR +39.183s
14. Roger Lee Hayden USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +59.889s
15. Matteo Baiocco ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1min 05.329s

Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR

Race Two

Max Biaggi claimed his ninth win of the season in race two after his initial battle with race one winner Jonathan Rea as the race got underway.

Rea took the lead as he got ahead of Ruben Xaus, Biaggi, Michel Fabrizio and Cal Crutchlow during the first few corners and looked to be on for his second win of the day.

by lap 3, Biaggi had passed Xaus and was chasing the race leader before finally passing him on lap 7 at turn 2.  Rea attempted to stay with the Aprilia but after just 2 laps Biaggi began to create an impressive gap.

Biaggi crossed the line almost 5 seconds ahead of Rea to take the chequered flag with Fabrizio taking the final step of the podium following the retirement of Xaus. With just 6 laps of the race remaining the Spaniard low-sided off of his BMW at turn one after a fantastic fight with Fabrizio.

James Toseland finished in an impressive fourth place after getting ahead of Noriyuki Haga with only 2 laps of the race to run.  Carlos Checa crossed the line in sixth place followed by Sylvain Guintoli, Leon Camier, Shane Byrne and Leon Haslam.

Despite Chris Vermeulen starting the second race he could only manage 2 laps before being seen heading to his pit garage to retire.

Tom Sykes and Max Neukirchner also failed to finish the second race after both tangled on the opening lap and Luca Scassa was unable to make it to the grid for race two after fracturing his foot in the first race incident.

Here are the results;

1. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 20 Laps
2. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +4.627s
3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1198 +13.600s
4. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +16.372s
5. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198 +17.530s
6. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198 +21.704s
7. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +23.769s
8. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 +25.875s
9. Shane Byrne GBR Althea Ducati 1198 +30.374s
10. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +34.002s
11. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198 +34.691s
12. Broc Parkes AUS Echo-CRS Honda CBR1000RR +49.270s
13. Roger Lee Hayden USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1min 03.258s
14. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +1 lap
15. Matteo Baiocco ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1 lap

Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR

Simon Andrews alongside Gary Mason at BSB Brands Hatch 2010

The Kawasaki team have now confirmed that Simon Andrews will be the replacement rider for the injured Chris Vermeulen at this weekends third round of the World Superbike Championship at Valencia in Spain.

Vermeulen is recovering from surgery on his knee following his accident at the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island in Australia.

Andrews has been testing with the team this week at Valencia and has now been given the chance to compete in the race alongside Tom Sykes.

Makoto Tamada

Makoto Tamada is returning to the World Superbike series this weekend aboard the Reitwagen BMW at Portimao as a replacement rider for the injured Roland Resch.

The Japanese rider had signed to ride for the Pro Ride Honda squad this season but due to problems with funding the team have yet to begin, giving Tamada a chance to show what he can do for the rival team.

Resch suffered a broken collarbone at the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island, leaving the team with the solo rider Andrew Pitt until former WSB and MotoGP rider confirmed his place.

Tamada began a testing session on the Reitwagen BMW yesterday at the Jerez circuit which continues today before beginning his one-off racing weekend for the team on the 28th March.

Chris Vermeulen - Kawasaki - Phillip Island 2010

Chris Vermeulen now has a race against time to be fit for round two of the World Superbike championship after his spectacular crash in the second race of the day at Phillip Island in Australia.

The Kawasaki rider was thrown and narrowly missed by his own bike, hitting the tyre wall at speed and injuring his right knee in the impact.  After undergoing an MRI scan it was discovered that he had five tears to his ligament, cartilage and muscle which may require an operation.

He’s a quick clip of Vermeulen giving an update of his injury;

The seven-strong British challenge will be fronted by two-time former champion James Toseland who returns to the series for Yamaha after two seasons competing in MotoGP. Joining Toseland on the grid will be 2009 British Superbike winner Leon Camier who prepares to make the step up and see if he can replicate his championship winning form on the global stage.

Adding to wealth of British talent in the championship will be World Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow who makes the move to the series and will partner Toseland for Yamaha. The 24-year-old finished third in the 2008 British Superbike Championship, following this up by claiming the Supersport crown in his rookie season last year.

Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Shane Byrne (Althea Racing) and Leon Haslam (Team Suzuki Alstare) will complete the super-seven British line-up.

Once again the championship challenge can be followed on Eurosport and this season they will provide their most comprehensive broadcast package yet with LIVE coverage from every round on British Eurosport, high definition content on Eurosport HD and every race available on demand via the Eurosport Player.

From the second round in Portimao and for every European round of the Championship, viewers can also enjoy coverage in stunning high definition on Eurosport HD. All the action will be streamed LIVE on the Eurosport Player and for the first time, every race will be available as video on demand for those who missed it or simply want to watch again.

TV coverage of the first round of the World Superbike Championship 2010 at Phillip Island starts on February 27th and the scheduled times are as follows:

Saturday 27 Feb
0400-0500 LIVE Superpole qualifying on British Eurosport 2
0900-1000, 1215-1315, 1515-1615 & 2230-2330 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

Sunday 28 Feb
0100-0200 LIVE WSB race one on British Eurosport 2
0230-0330 LIVE World Supersport race on British Eurosport 2
0430-0530 LIVE WSB race two on British Eurosport 2
0900-1130, 1400-1630 & 2000-2230 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

February 28                                 Australia                                                               Phillip Island

March 28                                       Portugal                                                               Portimão

April 11                                             Spain                                                                   Valencia (*)

April 25                                          Netherlands                                                           Assen

May 9                                               Italy                                                                          Monza

May 16                                            South Africa                                                          Kyalami

May 31                                            United States                                                        Salt Lake City

June 27                                          San Marino                                                            Misano

July 11                                             Czech Repub.                                                        Brno

August 1                                         Great Britain                                                         Donington Park

September 5                                Germany                                                                  Nürburgring

September 26                              Italy                                                                            Imola (*)/(**)

October 3                                        France                                                                       Magny Cours

(*) = To be confirmed

(**) = Subject to homologation

Karl Muggeridge

Karl Muggeridge has now signed to race for Holzhauer Honda team in the IDM Superbike series for the 2010 season after failing to land a ride in the World Superbike Championship.

The Australian rider came to the World Superbike series in 2005 after winning the World Supersport Championship the previous year for the Ten Kate Honda team.

The 34-year-old was given the chance to compete in the WSB class when the Ten Kate Honda team expanded their team to two riders, riding alongside Chris Vermeulen, where he finished his rookie season for the team in eleventh place overall.

The following year he was again failed to secure a podium finish and miss the Valencia round due to a back injury, ending the season in twelfth place overall,

He lost his ride with the team for 2007 season and despite being offered a seat in the Supersport World Championship, he chose to move to the Alto Evolution Honda team to ride alongside Josh Brookes.  A dismal season saw Muggeridge miss his home race at Phillip Island after crashing out during the practice session.  Due to legal problems the team were unable to race at the Misano round and then Brookes left the team.

In 2008 Muggeridge joined the DFXtreme team where he finished the season fifteenth overall before moving onto the Celani Suzuki team in 2009.

In April of 2009, Muggeridge suffered two broken vertebrae after his crash at Assen but the injury wasn’t discovered until he had another fall at the American circuit.  After weeks of being kept on the sidelines due to the need to rest his injuries, the Australian stepped into the British Superbike series for the HM Plant Honda team.

Muggeridge then filled the seat for the Alstare Suzuki team, replacing the injured German rider Max Neukirchner back in the World Superbike series.

Noriyuki Haga 2009

This weekend the World Superbike Championship goes to the Losail circuit in Qatar for it’s second of the fourteen rounds scheduled for the 2009 season.

Stiggy Honda rider Leon Haslam has raised concerns about tyres in the blistering desert heat but is confident he and the team will select the right front tyre and set-up for the race.

Troy Corser, BMW rider, thinks that he and team-mate Ruben Xaus will struggle at the Losail circuit as the team have no data on the track.  The high temperatures in the desert are a concern for all the teams but the BMW are ready to give it 100% .

Jonathan Rea, the Ten Kate Honda rider, likes the Qatar track and admits to knowing the circuit pretty well.  The Irish rider suffered with tyre wear problems at Phillip Island and is well aware of the need to keep his eye on the rubber as the weekend progresses.

With a win and a second place, Noriyuki Haga is going for the top spot this weekend on the Xerox Ducati and has said that his aim is now to win every race.  The Japanese rider is thought to be the favourite to win the World Superbike Championship this year.

Althea Honda rider Tommy Hill, also suffered with tyre problems in the opening round of the championship and is this weekend hoping for a couple of top ten places.

Kawasaki riders Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada, had a disappointing outing in Australia after suffering from a severe chatter problem on their machines.

Both riders feel that the team has a lot of development issues that still need to be overcome before they can get on the pace of rival teams.

A total of 41 riders were fined for breaking the pit lane speed limit at Phillip Island last month after a new system was put in place which each rider had his times and speed calculated in each of five set-up sections.  Each rider was fined £140 and all were over the limit in the final of the five sections as they accelerated onto the track.