Guintoli to make Portimao debut

From Team Suzuki Alstare

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli will make his Team Suzuki Alstare debut in the last round of this year's Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Algarve in Portimao this weekend.

Guintoli has already finished his season in the British Superbike Championship and joins the Suzuki Alstare this week as a replacement for the injured Max Neukirchner, and will begin his preparation for next year's Superbike World Championship with the team. It will be Guintoli's first time at the technically difficult and demanding circuit and so he will start the weekend learning the track and working with his new team.

Portimao will be Yukio Kagayama's last race for Team Suzuki Alstare after five years of loyal service. The popular Japanese rider is returning to the British Superbike Championship in 2010.

It's hard to describe my feelings about racing for a factory team like Suzuki Alstare next weekend," Guintoli said. "Originally, I thought that I would be carrying on with Suzuki in the British Championship, but then an offer came along, at the last minute, for me to race in the Superbike World Championship and I just couldn't say no. It is a fantastic opportunity and I would like to thank Francis (Batta), Suzuki Japan, Suzuki GB and all concerned for giving this great chance.

"I have seen on TV how competitive World Superbikes is and I am really looking forward to this challenge. The series is exciting and very tough and I think it is going to be a big, but wonderful challenge, for us all."