Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Dennis Noyes

Rubén Xaus, after winning both races at Imola from Neil Hodgson, who ran off the track battling the Spaniard in both races, said that, while it is true that Ducati wants him to race in the United States in 2004, he has now received assurances that he can stay in World Superbike as a Ducati works rider if he wants.

“I know Ducati want me in the AMA series and that they have even talked about signing other riders to replace me here, but my lawyer was here on Saturday and sorted a few things out. We both adjusted our positions a little. I have been told that if I want to stay here I can and I shouldn’t have said that I would not ride here on Pirelli. Of course I am a Michelin rider and want to stay with them, but I also think racing can still be good with a one-band tire supplier and we might even go faster than this year. Competition always makes you go faster,” said Xaus. “I’ll ride wherever Ducati wants me as long as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a Desmosedici in MotoGP. If not I have other options, here in SBK and also in MotoGP. But I will only take a ride on a competitive bike. I’m 25 and need to be World Champion when I’m 28 or 29–that’s the right age, the age of guys like Rainey and Lawson and Doohan when they hit their prime.

“My goal is to go to MotoGP and I want to continue with Ducati. They fired me last year because they thought they had Edwards and then when Edwards went to Aprilia they made me a good offer and I went back, but it was more like Hodgson’s team. What I want from Ducati is a good two-year deal that will get me eventually where I want to go. It was been a rough three years, but, in spite of some troubles, I still feel like a Ducati rider and want to eventually ride in the works Ducati team in MotoGP. If they offer me a route to where I want to go and that route takes me through the AMA series then I’ll do it. I like the United States and I love Laguna, but the deal has to make sense for me because it will not be easy to learn new tracks and beat the American riders at home, especially if we go with Michelin because Dunlop knows what they are doing and has tested so much everywhere. It could be fun, but first there are a lot of details to work out and I’ve got to try and beat Neil a couple more times at Magny Cours at the French round to end the season right.”

Xaus has won 6 of the last 10 races, but this was his best weekend ever. He even took the Superpole for the first time in three years.