With still no news about Kawasaki and the fate of riders John Hopkins and Marco Melandri and official MotoGP tests starting on Thursday, Hopkins is now being rumoured to be considering a move to the WSBK Championship to partner up with Leon Haslam at Stiggy Honda Motorsports and replace an ailing Roberto Rolfo. The Italian rider is having plenty of problems with a dislocated shoulder and has postponed recommended surgery to test at Portimao and start the 2009 season opener on March 1st at Phillip Island.

However it seems that Roberto Rolfo is unaware of this latest rumor because this is what he had to say on his website:

Hello boys!
In these days I am receiving a lot of mail regard to my injury, I want in the first place say you “thanks” for your support! During the tests of Portimao I completed only a few laps, the lesion was still too much fresh; I knew that it would not have been immediately easy, but it has been however important for me to enter in track, to better know the bike and the new team! I’m happy because the upgrades them is very high!
The days before the next tests in Australia are enough for being able to recover the form with a lot of motivation and training! I am not losing not even a minute of time, therapy, race, bicycle, swim, always with much music: thanks special also to Diabo for the songs of the “El Canto del Loco”! I will take advantage of every day at best, in order to arrive to the top in Australia for the next tests!
By by… and always… Gasss!
Roby44

Source | mcn and robertorolfo

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Team Stiggy Honda has signed Italian rider Gianluca Vizziello to ride alongside Anthony West to complete their Supersport Championship line-up for 2009. The 28-year-old Italian has a long racing history in the Supersport class and has ridden several seasons in the Superstock 1000cc class, winning several race in 2004, and has also raced in WSBK in 2005.

“I must say that I feel like the happiest person in the world right now!” said Gianluca. “Straight after signing the contract with Stiggy the other day, I didn’t really show my enthusiasm but now, when everything has sunk in, I have been celebrating for three days!”

“The WSS championship is tough and highly competitive, but for next year I know that I will have one of the best and fastest bikes in the championship. I will work and fight hard to finish on the podium in every race. My goal for next year is to try to finish in the top five,” he declared.

Continue reading: Gianluca Vizziello to Stiggy Honda

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After losing his Kawasaki seat to Marco Melandri and having no other offers in Motogp, Anthony West will be returning to
World Supersport and will be riding for Team Stiggy Motorsport Honda.

“Im very happy to be joining the Stiggy team. Stiggy is a friend an old team-mate from 2003 in 250GP. I remember saying to him one day that he should start his own team because none of the other teams knew how to do it right, and to my surprise he did! Over the last couple of years I heard from everybody in the industry that the Stiggy team it’s one of the better ones in the championship. To have a team boss that knows what it’s like to race and knows what racing is all about is just great! After a difficult year in MotoGP I need to race on a bike that can win, and in Supersport together with team Stiggy I can. For 2009 I have only one goal - To win! ”

West made a big mark as a replacement rider in this series in 2007, taking 2 wins and a 3rd place.

Source | Saimanet.com

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