WORLD superbike champion Carl Fogarty has ended days of speculation about his future by announcing that he will leave Honda at the end of the year to rejoin Ducati.

The Blackburn rider will team up again with Virginio Ferrari, with whom he won the world title last year.

And the move creates the mouthwatering possibility of an all-East Lancashire team with Burnley's Neil Hodgson a Ducati rider this year.

Fogarty explained: "Honda has never really suited my style like Ducati did. I've got more of a 250 rider's style and that suits the Ducati."

Fogarty finished fourth in the racing for provisional pole for tomorrow's 10th round at Assen in Holland, despite riding with a broken rib.

"After I crashed in qualifying in Japan two weeks ago I was told the rib was bruised. Now I've had an X-ray, the doctors have discovered it's broken in two places," said Fogarty. Yamaha reserve Jamie Whitham blitzed the championship regulars with a sensational lap of two minutes 5.666 seconds to take provisional pole.

And Hodgson was in fine form, the second fastest to also claim a place on the front row.

With only three rounds remaining, Fogarty's mission is simple - he must win races.

But Fogarty plans a statement of intent at the Dutch track tomorrow although the damaged ribs are inhibiting his movement and he needed pain-killing injections during practice.

But he remains defiant.

"It's painful but I'm not going to let it get in the way of my objectives here.

"I have to win and a 50-point haul (for two wins) would set things up nicely for the final two races. Giving up is not in my character. I'll go down fighting."

Hodgson said: "I would like to achieve at least one podium finish in my last three races.".

"It has been a great learning experience for me this season and I think I've coped well with the setbacks."

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