WSS: Anthony Gobert called up by Yamaha!

Yamaha GMT94 has signed former WSBK race winner Anthony Gobert to ride its YZF-R6 in the opening rounds of the 2006 World Supersport Championship.

The eight-time World Superbike race winner will substitute for the injured David Checa. Checa crashed in testing last week and broke his arm, forcing him out of the opening races in Qatar and Australia.

After undergoing a successful operation on Friday the Spaniard is expected to return to the saddle by the end of March, leaving the team needing a replacement rider for the opening two races.

Gobert, who celebrates his 31st birthday on the day of the Phillip Island race, rocketed onto the World Superbike scene at the end of the 1994 campaign - taking pole position and a win at the Australian round.

After three years in the championship 'The Go-Show' moved to 500cc Grands Prix before returning to the World Superbike series in which he made his name in 2000. His win on the underpowered Bimota, again at Phillip Island, was as memorable as the race six years earlier and showed his undoubted natural talent as he won by almost 30 seconds in a wet race. His last world championship outing came in October 2000 when he rode a Yamaha YZF-R7 at Brands Hatch.

In the intervening years he faced well-documented personal problems while racing in American and Australian national championships - including allegations of drug addiction - but Anthony says he is fit and ready to race in what will be his debut world championship Supersport races.

"I'm really happy to have the opportunity to get back into the world series with a good team and bike," he said. "I took a few years out to work out what I wanted to do and I've realised that it is to get back into racing. I raced in Australia last year and it looked like I might be doing that again, until this offer came to ride in the first few races. At first I was approached for the Phillip Island race but I really wanted some time on the bike beforehand, so the team invited me along to Qatar as well.

"The first race will really be a test for us. I raced Supersport for Yamaha US in 2001 and 2002 but the bikes have changed a lot since then. It's a new track, team, tyres and bike for me and I haven't ridden for five months, so the goal in Qatar to get a good set-up and hopefully a top ten. If we can get into the groove in Qatar then there's no reason why we can't be aiming at the top five in Phillip Island."

Round one of the 2006 World Supersport Championship takes place at the Losail circuit in Qatar this Saturday with round two at Phillip Island taking place eight days later.