From a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda:

WINSTON TEN KATE HONDA TAKES OFF IN MILAN

With just over a week until the start of the 2005 World Superbike and Supersport championships, the Winston Ten Kate Honda team was launched officially this afternoon at a glittering affair in the Rolling Stone event hall in the heart of Milan, Italy.

The event was attended by more than a hundred international press and TV journalists who heard from executives from Japan Tobacco International (JTI), owner of the team’s new title partner, Winston, and from Honda Europe Motorcycles.

Daniel Torras, vice-president of sponsorship at JTI, said: “I know that this exciting project will further strengthen the partnership between Honda and JTI, giving the Winston Ten Kate Honda team and its riders the greatest possible opportunity for success in this year’s championships.”



His sentiments were echoed by Yutaka Negishi, president of Honda Europe Motorcycles, who added: “I think that World Superbike and Supersport are the ideal formula to point out the quality of a motorcycle and to prove the riding capacities of a rider; for this reason we, at Honda Europe, have been supporting the Ten Kate Team for many years.”

Team owner, Gerrit ten Kate, impressed on the audience that the family atmosphere running through the team that has won the last three World Supersport titles, will continue. “This is more like a big family wedding than a team launch,” he said. “We welcome Winston, our new title partner, and really look forward to this season’s new challenges.”

The team will now depart for Doha, Qatar and the Losail circuit, where an official test takes place this weekend (19th-20th February) followed by the first round of the 2005 World Superbike and Supersport championships at the same circuit on 26th February.