Vivaldi keep two rider line-up, McGuinness to ETI.

Vivaldi Racing was delivered a blow on the opening day of the NEC bike show in the UK when John McGuinness announced that he would not ride for the team.

Speculation suggested that it was because he would not be allowed to ride at the TT. However team manager Richard Wilson said:

"The timing was lousy and has upset everyone especially as even the night before at dinner nothing was mentioned. It is not the first time we have had an agreement with a rider and have been let down. It is nothing to do with the TT as we had agreed that he could ride the TT."

Following the departure of McGuinness, Wilson has decided to run both Tristan Palmer and Ben Wilson in the British Superbike class.

"This has set us back a bit but we will now run Tristan Palmer alongside Ben Wilson in the Superbike Championship," he said.

"We have a young team and I think that this has made everybody more determined than ever to succeed. The team owner and myself will obviously now have to reorganise some things and we will make a further announcement within a few weeks.

"Lastly we would like to wish John and all other riders good luck," he concluded.

Meanwhile, McGuinness is said to have signed a contract with Jim Moodie's ETI Kawasaki team for 2005. This will see him compete in the British Superbike championship as well as many road races including the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200.