Pictures: KTM withdraw.

Team Roberts has been in motorcycle grand prix racing for a long time, but last weekend's pre-race activities at the Czech Republic Grand Prix - when KTM sent their V4 engines to the Roberts pit, only to withdraw them again that afternoon - must have broken new ground.

After the German Grand Prix, KTM had announced that they would be ending their role as engine, tyre, and rider supplier for Team Roberts - forcing the Banbury based outfit to send last year's bike, and Jeremy McWilliams, to Brno - with many questions still unanswered.

However, on Thursday morning, KTM turned up at the Roberts pits with their MotoGP engines - giving Shane Byrne hope that he might be able to ride his Proton KR the next day.

But at five o'clock that afternoon, Team Roberts received a fax from KTM telling them they could not use the engines - which KTM then took away again (pictured), marking the apparent end of their brief MotoGP 'adventure'.

With Byrne contracted to KTM, McWilliams and last year's V5 duly appeared during the Czech Republic Grand Prix weekend, on Michelin tyres, with the Ulsterman setting some impressive practice times - given the circumstances - before mechanical problems ended his race on lap 7.

However, without Thursday's 'will they-won't they' situation, McWilliams would have had the considerable asset of a spare bike during the GP - instead the team were forced to cover all bases by scrutineering one V5 and one KTM machine, with the latter then sitting in the side of the garage after the engines were withdrawn.

Given their current situation, Team Roberts are not expected to make the next five 'flyaway' events, but could return for the Valencia season finale.