Cost cuts hit Sterilgarda team

Added on Monday, February 9th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

Shane Byrne will be the sole rider for the Sterilgarda Ducati team for the opening two rounds of the World Superbike Championship as budget cuts hit.

The British Superbike Champion, who joined the Sterilgarda team this year, will be the team’s only representative at Phillip Island and Losail for rounds one and two respectively as the team becomes the latest to attempt to cut costs.

That means that Italian Alessandro Polita, also new to the team, will sit out the races in Australia and Qatar after a number of sponsors withdrew their support of the team.

In a statement released by the team also suggested that the situation may remain in place further on in the season, claiming that “every effort” will be made to restore a two-rider operation for the European round in Valencia.

“The Sterilgarda Team will enter the first two rounds of the incoming Superbike season with the only Shane Byrne lined up,” the team confirmed. “The team, led by Marco Borciani, has been forced to take this decision due to the current economic situation.

“The management will try to make any efforts in order to line up a full-team at the first European round of the season in April at Valencia.”

Sterilgarda manager Marco Borciani added: “I feel really sorry about the situation that does not allow Alex Polita to enter the first two round of the season.

“Unfortunately the economic scenario has cut the assistance of several sponsors who were supposed to help the team for the 2009 season. I’m really sorry for Alex, who is a talented young rider with whom I hope to again be able to work with in the future.

“We will try to get everything ready for the third round of the championship with two riders on track.”

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.