June 13, 2008 - E. L. Luz

Shane Byrne and Max Biaggi will be the official factory Ducati team following the retirement of Troy Bayliss at the end of this season. ... Scroll down for the full story

It doesn't sound impossible does it? Shane Byrne and Max Biaggi on the Factory Ducati WSB team in 2009 sounds like a dream ticket for all concerned. The additional rumour was that GSE Racing will take on Michel Fabrizio, currently Bayliss' team mate in a deal brokered by Ducati Corse. For series organisers, two of the biggest names in superbikes from two of the countries where WSB is strongest seems to be a perfect outcome.

It seems that Aprilia's return to WSB – allied to Biaggi's history with the team – has encouraged Ducati to try to secure his services early doors. Aprilia has currently got Alex Hoffman working on the RSV4 and had made overture to Biaggi with whom the Noale factory won four 250GP titles.

And how about an American-backed WSB Ducati team, Ducati Boulder, backed by a fibre-optic millionaire by the name of Bryan Zwan? Suddenly the two US rounds of WSB make more sense!

And, while we are grinding out rumours, how about HM Plant to do the last three rounds of this WSB season before making an HRC-backed return to the whole series in 2009? The problem there is that Carlos Checa has a contract with HRC, not Ten Kate and if HRC returns via HM Plant, one of the HM Plant riders might have to give way.

Add this news to the arrival of BMW, KTM and Aprilia back in the WSB championship and you have to say that those of us who predicted the decline of WSB with the introduction of a Pirelli control tyre look rather stupid.

Obviously if all this turns out to be bollocks, well...it's only an internet story, innit?