The Superbike tests at Portimao organized by Infront Motor Sport were officially over on Sunday, but several WSBK teams headed straight to the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia for another two days of important testing, before the first round of the championship that kicks off on February 28th at Phillip Island.

Ducati Xerox with Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, BMW with Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser and Aprilia’s Max Biaggi and newcomer Leon Camier with test rider Alex Hofmann, who from his Twitter page reports that it’s cold and blustery at Valencia, are the factory teams who are present. Also on track Althea Ducati with Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne.

Jakub Smrz is also in Valencia with the merged Borciani-Guandalini team, however the Czech rider will be using a Ducati instead of an Aprilia. Apparently negotiations with Noale to use the RSV4 have fallen through on economic issues.

Several Moto2 teams are also at Valencia including Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 team and Aspar Martinez with his Mapfre Aspar Team, who has finally decided on the RSV chassis.

Continue reading: WSBK: More Testing at Valencia

Ernesto Marinelli, who was Xerox Ducati’s technical director has been promoted and will take over Davide Tardozzi’s role as SBK project manager.

Marinelli’s promotion came after Tardozzi’s decision to step down from his position to seek new challenges because he lost movtivation.

Tardozzi helped Ducati take 16 World Superbike titles since joining as team manager in 1999 with such riders as Fogarty, Corser, Bayliss, Toseland and Hodgson.

“Davide has been part of Ducati’s recent history”, said Claudio Domenicali, General Director of Ducati, “a friend and, at the same time, an important presence that has allowed Ducati to achieve significant successes, particularly in the World Superbike Championship where, in recent years, he has project managed with passion, competence and professionalism. We are sorry to announce that Davide will not be part of the 2010 team but, at the same time, we wish him our very best wishes for the new challenges that await him, and thank him for the many years of service during which we have won and lost together.”

After the jump a great video with 25 years of Ducati Superbikes:

Continue reading: WSBK – Ernesto Marinelli new Ducati Xerox Team Manager

Take a look at this video of Davide Tardozzi hugging Michel Fabrizio at the parc ferme after race 2 at Portimao and what the guys who posted the video compared it to. Hilarious.

After all the controversy surrounding the lack of team orders by Tardozzi, this video might just soothe certain Italian fans. Would Tardozzi have tried this with Carl Fogarty?

Continue reading: WSBK - Fabrizio gets the kiss of death?

Ducati Xerox team manager Davide Tardozzi has been getting a lot of flak from Italian Ducatisti fans (we’ve personally read them) since Sunday afternoon, when Noriyuki Haga lost the WSBK championship to Ben Spies by only six points.

Many were angrily citing the fact that Tardozzi refused to give Michel Fabrizio any team orders and that Fabrizio’s first place in Race 2 at Imola and in Race 2 at Portimao took away 10 valuable points from Haga’s title race.

Tardozzi has even had to defend himself on the official Desmoblog:

At this point I would also like to address some comments that we have heard since the final race….
Certainly, and we are well aware, that the decision to not stop Michel at Imola could have cost us dearly. But, after seeing how things went, I don’t think that this is the right moment to evaluate that situation.

In race 2 today Spies was clearly in control, knowing that he had the potential to fight for the podium but realising that a fifth position would be more than enough to win. One should also consider that Nori took second position during the final lap and Michel could not have known what was happening behind him.

Continue reading: WSBK - Davide Tardozzi has to defend himself

Can’t be at Imola next week for 12th round of the WSBK Championship? The Ducati Xerox Team, in collaboration with Ducati Corse will be offering a rare opportunity for those fans from around the world the chance to see Noriyuki Haga and his team, direct from the Ducati garage at Imola in live streaming on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September

A web-cam, positioned Haga’s pit garage, will be activated between 14.00 and 17.00 on Saturday and between 09.00 and 17.00 on Sunday and to access the live stream you will need to log on to the official Ducati site www.ducati.com.

More information will be available on the Ducati website from Monday 21st September and if the project works, Ducati will be offering the same service for the final two rounds at Magny-Cours and Portimao.

Continue reading: Be With Noriyuki Haga Live at Imola

Most professional riders have a very tough and serious training regime that is varied and usually consists of running, road cycling, mountain biking, motocross riding, working out in the gym, but Noriyuki Haga candidly admits in this video that he doesn’t do any of these things.

The female journalist asks NitroNori about his training: “Another curiosity, your training regime? Do you workout in a gym during the week and do you also workout in your motorhome?” And a very cool Haga answers: ” No, only training is f##king!

It’s always funny how the first words that someone picks while learning a new language is the profanity.

Continue reading: Haga's Special Training Regime

Arai has introduced a limited edition Haga Monza version of their new RX-7 GP helmet.

The helmet will be available in a limited run of 200 examples, with a unique paint job by Aldo Drudi. Haga used this specific helmet to celebrate his 250th WSBK race at Monza. The design features a large outline of the Monza circuit map on the very top, surrounded by its geographical coordinates. On both sides of the helmet, Nori’s ‘NKI41’ logo is depicted in both the Japanese and Italian flags while a caricature of ‘Nitro Nori’ wheelying a tractor completes the rear.

The Haga Monza edition lids will be on sale and expected to be delivered by September 2009 and buyers also get an extra, a T-shirt signed by Noriyuki Haga.

So if you’re a Samurai of Slide fan, why not check out an Arai dealer, because this is going to be a collectors item.

Continue reading: Arai Haga Monza Limited Edition Helmet

You have to admit that Noriyuki Haga has got a droll sense of humour, this has been added to his website’s homepage after he got hit by a pigeon during Race 2 at Monza. The impact on his arm caused him him drop back to 15th and a loss of sensation and while he was trying to catch the pack, crashed out at the Parabolica.

Continue reading: Haga: For a Bird Free Race

MCN does it again with this video of Noriyuki Haga on his new Ducati. Haga’s mechanics had a lot of work to do the first day of tire testing at the Kyalami circuit last week, when NitroNori crashed out three times and had to rebuild his bike. Haga wearing camoflauge style leathers finished third on the final day of testing behind Ben Spies (Yamaha) and teammate Michel Fabrizio.

Continue reading: Haga on the Ducati Xerox