Come Spies or highwater, Italian food brand Sterilgarda and Yamaha have confirmed their continued sponsorship agreement in World Superbike for the 2010 season. This announcement does one of two things: it either 1) confirms Ben Spies’ involvement with the factory Yamaha World Superbike team for 2010, or 2) it means that Sterilgarda is content to race with Yamaha regardless of who rides for the tuning fork brand.
In a way, its a bold move for the dairy maker. For the 2009 season, the factory Yamaha team has been essentially a one man team. Spies’ teammate Tom Sykes, while 8th in the World Superbike Championship standings, has been a virtual non-factor to the outcome of the races so far this year. If Spies leaves WSBK, as some are still rumoring, it will leave a vacuum behind for a top rider on the factory Yamaha team.
Assuming that Yamaha cannot secure some other top talent for its factory squad (read: James Toseland, Christopher Vermeulen, etc), 2010 might end up being a lackluster endevour for the squad, and surely a disappoint for Sterilgarda, who has enjoyed being in the limelight so far for 2009.
Additionally with this announcement, comes the report that Sterilgarda will cease sponsorship of the BRC Racing Ducati team, which has failed to make positive results this season.
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