Ten Kate confirms Winston connection.

Following the unofficial release of pictures showing Ten Kate's new blue and white paint scheme (see separate story), the Dutch based racing team have confirmed Winston as its title sponsor for 2005, when it will contest two world championships with a four-rider line-up.

Australians Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge will ride the blue Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR in the 12-round World Superbike championship: Vermeulen scored four wins on the new Honda during his debut 2004 season, taking him to fourth overall in the championship, while Muggeridge is the reigning World Supersport champion.

Replacing Muggeridge in the 2005 WSS championship, which the team has won for the past three seasons, will be Japanese rider Katsuaki Fujiwara and Frenchman S?bastien Charpentier. Both will race Honda CBR600RRs.

"Since we contested our first world championship season in 1997, Ten Kate Racing has come a very long way," commented team owner Gerrit ten Kate. "With the support of Honda Europe, we have won three consecutive World Supersport championships and our first season of World Superbike in 2004 gave us four race wins and fourth place in the series.

"We have been working hard over the winter months to improve even further the remarkable CBR1000RR and new CBR600RR, both of which are already as close to race-ready production motorcycles as you can buy. We are absolutely delighted to welcome Winston as title partner to the team for 2005.

"I am convinced that this additional support will allow us to reach even higher standards of performance and professionalism in both world championships," he concluded.

A three-day test at Almeria (1-3 February) will be followed by two days at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia (7-8 February), after which the team will prepare for the international launch of Winston Ten Kate Honda in the city of Milan on 15 February.