From a press release issued by Alstare Suzuki: After the split with Corona Extra (Team Alstare Suzuki’s partner for ten years) it has been very difficult to find a new sponsor to replace the Mexican beer. Alstare and their General Manager Francis Batta have worked flat out during the winter to find a replacement for Corona. During November there was a great option with a potential sponsor. In the end this failed to come to fruition, but it still remains a possibility for the 2009 season. During these difficult times, Francis Batta refused to give up his search for a suitable sponsor, because he wanted to protect his company, all the staff and guarantee the continuity of its racing activities. Alstare took part in the winter tests in Qatar and Australia in order to be competitive at the start of the season, even though they had no sponsor at the time. Fans and World Superbike personnel had started to get worried about the team’s possible non-participation this year (especially after Alstare missed the official presentation of the SBK World Championship in the beginning of February) and were afraid that their favourite team would not be on the start-line for the opening race in Qatar next weekend. But Francis and Patricia Batta have never doubted the resourcefulness of their abilities. They worked tirelessly to find a suitable replacement and therefore not disappoint the thousands of fans of the Belgian team. Francis kept on researching, went to many, many meetings and persevered until he was able to finalise a solution with new partners so that Alstare could be part of the 2008 season. Now, after months and months of hard work, preparing the look of Team Alstare Suzuki 2008, we are proud to present our new sponsors and new bikes which – as usual – will be talked about for their original and trendy style. Thanks to Alstare’s new energy and enthusiasm, Yukio Kagayama, Fonsi Nieto and Max Neukirchner will be able to compete head-to-head with all the other stars of the SBK World Championship – much to the pleasure of all their supporters looking forward to seeing their idols on the track again! Main sponsor : Pepephone.com (Group Pepeworld) Pepephone.com is the new Spanish “virtual” operator for cellular phones which provides mobile communication services using the Vodafone network. Changing the conventional laws of the mobile telephony market, Pepehone.com brings a young and funky image to the world of telecommunications. Pepephone.com was launched in November 2007 and, together with Pepecar.com and Pepetravel.com, is the new brand of Pepeworld – a branch of the multinational Globalia group founded by Juan José Hidalgo. Pepehone.com introduces the concept of ‘low fares services’ in the cellular telephony industry, as they maximise the reductions in costs – by billing only the calls actually made – but still offer a high level of customer service. Their philosophy is ‘no bargains’, ‘no giveaways’, ‘no surprises'”¦ the customer only pays for what he or she uses. Moreover when Pepephone.com users make a call, they can collect points which can be converted into other Pepe services such as car rental (Pepecar), travel (Pepetravel) and tickets for flights operated by Air Europa, the airline company of the Globalia Group. Co-sponsors: Meyluna Meyluna is a group of enterprises consisting of more than 10 companies including legal, financial and fiscal services as well as real estate, building, sales and promotion. Thanks to its efficient management, the solidity of its projects and the important targets gained, the Meyluna Group (founded by María Eugenia Yeregui Kinkel, Luis Fernando Linares Torres and José Ignacio Sánchez Baranda) achieves important goals and is an outstanding example in the Spanish business elite. Among the members of Meyluna Group, AEDIFICAT is a company which creates and fully manages building projects. Their core business is the construction of urban or sports infrastructures – such as the Valleromano Resort in Estepona (Málaga) – as well as the real estate sales and promotion. Dark Dog Dark Dog was founded in Austria in 1995. After a three year test phase, the company finally launched its now famous energy drink in 1999. At the time, it was only distributed in Norway, but thanks to smart development policies, this small business gradually became the second leading energy drink worldwide – a truly global brand, with its products distributed in more than 25 countries. If you’re feeling a bit drained, a Dark Dog is just what you need. It contains Taurine (an amino acid which accelerates the body’s ability to convert fat into energy-filled elements), Guaraná (a natural source of caffeine) and various vitamins. A Dark Dog is one of the most efficient ways to increase your performance, your vigilance and stimulate your metabolism. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: The first race of the 2008 Superbike World Championship this weekend in Qatar sees the dawning of a new era for Team Alstare Suzuki. After ten years with the same sponsor, it’s all change for the new season. And the changes don’t stop there, for this year’s Alstare Suzuki team also features two new riders. With crowd favourite Yukio Kagayama staying though, the new three rider line-up is a fascinating blend of youth and experience. All three riders have enjoyed their winter tests and are fit and ready for the championship’s kick-off this coming weekend. Yukio Kagayama: “Last season was one to forget and I am determined not to have so many hurtful crashes. The winter tests have gone well and now it’s time to see how well we will stack up against our competitors in a race situation. I think that the competition will be even harder then last year, but I am excited about the prospect of lots of tough racing because this is what I enjoy!” Fonsi Nieto: “It took a while to get used to the Alstare Suzuki GSX-R, but every time I rode the bike I became more and more comfortable with it. Testing is one thing, but now it’s time to see how we go in a race. There are so many different factors in a race compared to testing and it’s going to be very interesting for sure. Of course, this year is going to be very hard because the series has become stronger and there are many good riders and bikes out there, but I am looking forward to the challenge.” Max Neukirchner: “My new experience started with the winter tests, but I feel I know the team and mechanics now and we are working together really well. The Suzuki I rode last season was nothing like the Alstare Suzuki, so there has been lots to learn. But I am so happy to get this chance with a team like Alstare Suzuki and I am determined to give it everything I have. There are so many good riders this year, but I think I can get some good results and have some fun at the same time.” Francis Batta – Team Manager: “We have done a lot of work over the winter months and I seemed to have spent a lot of time in meetings trying to get everything organised for this season. It’s been tough, but now I’m looking forward to being at the racetrack and getting involved in the racing again. We have an interesting rider line-up this year – a good mixture of experience and youth – and it’s going to be fun working with the three different characters throughout the long season ahead and see how they perform. We are under no illusions about how hard this season will be, but we at Alstare Suzuki like this kind of a challenge and will be giving it 100 per cent – as usual.”