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Massimo ‘Maio' Meregalli, leader of the championship winning Yamaha Sterilgarda Team, has two new riders under his control in 2010, and each is clearly a top-level prospect for any team manager to work with.

In James Toseland he has a proven double World Superbike champion, surely one of the true possible candidates, even in a field of potential race winners more than ten strong. In Cal Crutchlow Meregalli also has a proven champion, in World Supersport, but as recent testing has shown, Crutchlow has needed little time to get used to the funky Yamaha Superbike. Nor is he the kind of rider to shy away from a new challenge.

"I am ready for the 2010 championship," said Meregalli. "We are pushing and we will start with the goal to again take the title. With the experience we got in 2009 we have improved our bike so, personally, I am thinking that we can start with this target in mind."

He continued, "In the only two tests we had with our two new riders we had quite comfortable results. For sure James has a lot of experience; two titles already and he also comes to us from two years in MotoGP. It is too early to say something about Cal over the whole season, but I think that he did two good tests. He has a very strong mentality."

Like the rest of the 2010 field, the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team will be testing at Portimao, on January 22 to 24.