Melandri to WSBK, Crutchlow to MotoGP

Yamaha's world championship road racing stocks are nearly in place for the 2011 season, following two interrelated announcements made last weekend.

Here's how it works. Former world 250 GP champion and five-time MotoGP race winner Marco Melandri will join James Toseland at Yamaha's world superbike team, replacing Cal Crutchlow (pictured), who in turn is on his way to MotoGP to replace Ben Spies at the French-based Tech 3 team.

It was announced a few weeks ago that Spies was replacing Valentino Rossi at the factory Yamaha MotoGP team.

Melandri is certainly looking forward to a fresh challenge after a disappointing last few years in MotoGP, first on a Ducati followed by Kawasaki and on a Honda in 2010. Melandri is currently ninth in this year's title race.

"I'm very happy with this new challenge, it's a big change and I want to fight for world superbike wins," said Melandri. "It's nice to be back with Yamaha; I know many people there; I was very young when I rode with them before, now I'm much more mature.

"The Yamaha Sterilgarda team has proven to have a very competitive package and is one of the top teams in world superbike. I realise superbike is not easy and I know I have to work hard. I'm looking forward to feeling the adrenalin again and fighting for the championship."

Melandri will join a number of former MotoGP riders in world superbike, including Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and Toseland.

Meanwhile, a British rider will return to MotoGP courtesy of Crutchlow, who is fifth in this year's world superbike standings. In 2009, he won the world supersport title on debut.

Like Spies, Crutchlow has been 'nurtured' through the Yamaha family.

"Being part of the Yamaha Sterilgarda world Superbike team has been fantastic," said Crutchlow. "When I first signed with Yamaha for the 2009 Supersport World Championship we went on to win the title and the natural progression was to move to world superbike.

"It was an honour to be asked to be part of the team and to remain as part of the Yamaha family. Now I'm again taking another step and I am being brought through to the Tech3 Team as they have done with other riders such as Ben Spies in the past.

"I first rode for Yamaha in 2003 in the R6 Cup so have a great history with them. Moving to MotoGP is a great opportunity for me, it was an honour to be asked by Herve Poncheral and for Yamaha to back me. I intend to do the best job I can with the team next year, be humble, learn and enjoy the experience."