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Colin Edwards says Honda officials told him they were shutting down their World Superbike team for 2003 and said they couldn’t give him a MotoGP ride, all before signing Nicky Hayden for MotoGP.

This is what Edwards said this morning, as relayed to us by reporter Mat Oxley:

“I’m pissed that Hayden’s got the ride after all I’ve done for Honda over the past five years. I’ve won two Suzuka 8-Hours, one world title and maybe another on the way. After all that, you’d think I’d be the first in line for a GP ride. The whole political thing at Honda is bullshit. It seems that the rider who’s got a load of money behind him gets the ride, it doesn’t matter if they can ride well. All this means I’m getting closer and closer to being a Ducati rider. I’m not sitting around kissing ass to get a ride. That’s not me.”