After being booted from the BMW factory World Superbike team at the end of the season, Spaniard Ruben Xaus has landed himself a new job with the Ten Kate Honda WSBK squad. The Captain of Crash in the 2010, Xaus and the BMW S1000RR seemingly couldn’t come to an accord on the fastest way around the race track, which often resulted in Xaus ending up on wrong side of the gravel traps.
With murmurs starting early in the season that the WSBK veteran would be given the boot, there was little fanfare or surprise when Xaus was replaced by Leon Haslam in the BMW World Superbike team for the 2011 season. Finding a place in the Ten Kate Honda team, Xaus in many ways is moving up in the WSBK paddock, as Ten Kate’s Honda CBR1000RR has been consistently competitive in World Superbike racing. Xaus will join Johnny Rea for the 2011 season, where the duo will fight again for the World Championship. The season’s opening round will be Xaus’s 200th start in World Superbike.
“It’s difficult for me describe how happy I am that I will ride with the Ten Kate Honda team next season. For many years I have admired the passion and dedication that they bring to World Superbikes and I believe that they capture the essence of the championship,” said a delighted Xaus.
“They run a successful Honda dealership in Holland and with the support of Honda Europe they manage a team that has some of the most skilled tuners and engineers. They have shown with all their world titles that they have the right blend of skill and desire. I know that I am capable of more SBK wins and I will bring all my racing experience, gained on many different types of machine, to help achieve more success with the Ten Kate Honda team.
“I would like to thank Gerrit, Ronald and all the guys Honda for the faith that they have shown in me and in my potential,” concluded the Spaniard. “I still have a lot of things I want to do in World Superbikes and I believe this team will allow me to achieve what we all aim for. It will begin with my first test with my new team at the end of this month and I cannot wait to start work.”
Source: Ten Kate Honda; Photo: BMW
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