ALTHEA RACING OFFICIALLY PRESENTS ITS 2012 SUPERBIKE TEAM AHEAD OF THE SEASON’S OPENING ROUND Civita Castellana (Italy), Wednesday 1st February 2012: Althea Racing today took the opportunity to officially present its 2012 World Superbike outfit to sponsors and members of the press at the team’s headquarters in Civita Castellana. Later this month the 2011 World SBK Champions will be back in action at the opening round of the 2012 World SBK Championship, but before embarking on what will be an inevitably challenging journey, team manager Genesio Bevilacqua, riders Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano and team members were all on hand to officially launch the season and unveil the new livery of the Ducati 1198 machines. Key sponsors, including representatives from Unibat, TIM and SNAI, were present for an informal lunch followed by the formal presentation, during which team members and riders spoke about their expectations for the coming season. Also on stage were special guests including Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, Paolo Ciabatti, General Manager of Infront Motor Sports, and Ernesto Marinelli, SBK Project Director for Ducati. The event was attended by many members of the national and international press with guests also having the chance to view Genesio Bevilacqua’s extensive private bike collection, housed at the same location. Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing spoke about his team’s objectives going into the new year: “I’m very happy to officially present our 2012 line-up. As you know, our confirmed riders are SBK champion Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano, a rising talent. We thank all of our sponsors, and particularly Unibat, SNAI and TIM, as it is thanks to them that we are able to embark on this adventure. We start the season with high expectations, having won in both the Superbike and Superstock categories last year. We know it won’t be easy as the competition is very strong but we will do our best to repeat last year’s incredible performance, knowing that we can count on the experience gained by our men in the field during 2011. We hope that this experience will help us to do even better than last year.” Carlos Checa, the 2011 championship winner, knows that competition will be stiffer than ever this year but is confident as he sets about defending his title: “I prefer not to say too much, it’s impossible to make predictions when it comes to racing! We do know that this coming season will be tough, there will be stiff competition and we will fight with more or less the same bike as in previous seasons. Having said that, I am confident and can’t wait to get back on track with my team it goes without saying that we will do our utmost to defend the title!” Having demonstrated his potential by winning the 2011 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup with Althea Racing, Davide Giugliano makes an important step up to the Superbike class this year and relishes the chance to compete in such a strong field: “I hope to be strong right from the start. I’m riding the championship winning bike and am part of the championship winning team so I don’t have any excuses really! I realize that I need to get straight down to work and learn fast if I want to start seeing the results.” The Althea Racing team leaves for Phillip Island, Australia next week, and will participate in final testing sessions before preparing for Round 1 of the 2012 World SBK championship, taking place at the same track over the weekend of 24-26th February. More, from a press release issued by Telecom Italia: TELECOM ITALIA RIDES WITH DUCATI IN THE SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP TOO Sponsorship deal extended to the World Superbike Championship in 2012. TIM is with the Althea Racing Team on World Champion Carlos Checa and young talent Davide Giugliano’s motorbikes Rome, 1 February 2012 Telecom Italia and Ducati extend their partnership to the Superbike Championship during the 2012 season as the sponsorship agreement between the two companies in MotoGP is extended to the World Superbike Championship’s Althea Racing Team. TIM, Telecom Italia’s mobile telephony brand, will be emblazoned on the fairing and front cowls of Team Althea’s two Ducati 1198s, and on the racing outfits worn by Carlos Checa, current World Superbike Champion, and Davide Giugliano, the young Italian rider who last year won the Superstock 1000 Championship. This partnership strengthens the links between the two companies, both of which share values like the pursuit of excellence, technological leadership and a desire to compete in major challenges. Telecom Italia and Ducati line up to race together towards new triumphs on and off the track.