WSB Blog: 2010, who's your money on?

After14 rounds in 12 countries across five continents you’d think that the WSB paddock would be ready for a winter break, but after witnessing the two day test at Portimao I already can’t wait for the season opener at Phillip Island in February.

Standing on pit wall on the final afternoon of the test gave me butterflies in my stomach thinking about just how cool next years championship promises to be. In under 2 minutes stood track side, this is what I witnessed… 

Ten Kate Honda man Jonathan Rea has just burst into view over the crest at the beginning of the front straight. His 230bhp CBR is howling with the 22 year old perfectly poised and tucked and on his way to another pace setting lap, less than two seconds later James Toseland emerges, the distinctive note of cross plane Yamaha is on full chat as he desperately tries to pick-up the tow of Rea down the 835 meter straight.

I watch the two men disappear and then hear them go down four gears under braking for turn one. I’m still thinking how good it’s going to be to see Rea and Toseland go head to head next year when I’m alerted to the fast approaching Haslam on his all black 2010 screaming GSXR1000 and man does that thing look fast.

Seconds later it’s the wail of the stunning Aprilia RSV4 of Camier and unlike the others he takes a sweeping curve that brings him close to the pit wall before reverting to the other side of the track for the approach to turn one.

For a split second there is silence and I look behind me to see Tom Sykes leaving his garage on the factory Kawasaki and Gino Rea and James Ellison lurking outside the Yamaha WSS pit following their rides earlier in the day. My attention is quickly drawn to the exhaust note of another Yamaha on full noise as Crutchlow explodes in to view already looking fast and comfortable on the factory Superbike.

The competition between the Brits, never mind the rest of the riders is going to be intense next year. The stakes are high because they know that they are at a level where one of them could be crowned World Champion.

I’m not expecting them to become or even remain good friends next year because it’s hard to see how that could ever be possible when the stakes are so high. Each man wants the accolade of being the UK’s best and for the first time they are all going to be in the same place so there can be no arguments.

There’s never been such an abundance of British talent in a world championship which is good news for each and every one of us, I just hope that there is not so much in fighting that they forget about the real challenge of becoming world champion.

Who’s your money on?