Gino Rea will fly the British flag in the World Supersport 600cc Championship this season after signing a deal with the Czech Intermoto Honda team. The 20-year-old won the 2009 European Superstock 600 Championship after prevailing in a dramatic title shootout in Portugal, Rea winning the crown for Ten Kate Honda Jnr team by just a single point. Since then, Rea has targeted a step up to the World Supersport Championship and landed a test on the title-winning Yamaha R6 at the post-season test in Portugal. However, following a recent successful test at Cartagena with the Intermoto team, Rea flew to Prague to sign contracts with them for 2010, using Honda machinery. Gino will take Andrew Stone, his technician from 2008 with him, again as his chief tech. Rea will ride alongside the experienced Italian Supersport champion and World Supersport podium finisher Massimo Roccoli. The young londoner said ‘I flew to the teams head office and workshop yesterday to sign the contract, I couldn’t be happier right now! The team has a new colour scheme for this year and I get to run my number 4 which I’m really pleased about, I’ve had number 4 since I first rode a bike at the age of 3, I won my first motocross championship with it and more recently the Superstock title in 2009. I’m so excited to get on the bike at Phillip Island! This is what I’ve worked for since I come to the World SBK paddock in 2007 in the Superstock class, where I first worked with Andrew Stone who will come with me into the Intermoto Honda team for our World Supersport campaign. After winning the Superstock 600cc title this year I really hoped it would help secure me a ride, and eventually it has. I’m looking forward to a new challenge and I cant wait to get things underway. I tested with the team at Cartagena and really gelled with them, the test went great and I showed that im capable of riding a Supersport bike fast. Things just went from there. I’m thankful that they have given me the opportunity to race with them and as aways I’ll be working my best to repay their faith in me. I’ve been hard at work in the pre-season, I went to Spain training with Leon Camier so I hope that I can piece things together and be competitive in the World Supersport Championship. I know its going to be very hard, its such a competitive and premier class, so we will see how things pan out at the first round in Phillip Island, Australia!’ The first World Superport race will be on the 28th February at Phillip Island, Australia. Catch it live on Eurosport TV. More news to come soon… www.GinoRea.com