Aprilia to quit MotoGP

According to cyclenews.com, Piaggio – the company on the verge of becoming Aprilia's new owner – has decided to terminate the factory's RS Cube MotoGP project, putting Shane Bryne and Jeremy McWilliams out of a 2005 ride. "The racing schedule of Derbi and Gilera will not change and about Aprilia we haven't any doubt to maintain our involvement in 125 and 250 GP classes," cyclenews.com reports Piaggio CEO Rocco Sabelli as saying. "Regarding MotoGP, we think that Aprilia's presence on the challenge was not economic, not competitive and absolutely without positive effect in the commercial activity," he added. "Contrary, we will study the possibility to re-enter very soon in the World Superbike. To stay in MotoGP could to cost a lot of money and damage our firm."