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A new face will line up on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid as Belgian rider Loris Cresson (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) will make his debut at the Circuito Estoril for the Pirelli Estoril Round after the 22-year-old competed in WorldSSP in 2020. Cresson will be competing on a Kawasaki ZX-10RR for his WorldSBK debut on a circuit he has not competed at before.

Cresson makes his first appearance in WorldSBK after competing in WorldSSP full-time for three years, where he secured a best result of ninth; although the Braine-l'Alleud born rider did secure an eighth-place finish in 2017 during a part-time campaign. He made his debut in WorldSSP in 2016 in a part-time season for RPM84 before switching to Race Department ATK#25 for 2017; also a part-time campaign.

He made a full-time switch to WorldSSP action in 2018 with Kallio Racing and stuck with the team for a second season in 2019 where he secured his best results for the team. For 2020, Cresson switched to OXXO Yamaha Team Toth alongside Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen, where he has secured a best finish of 11^th in a rain-affected race at Catalunya.

Cresson also competed in Moto3™ at the age of 16 as he appeared on the World Championship scene, competing at the season-opening race in Qatar where he finished in 29^th place; his only Moto3™ World Championship race to date.

Loris Cresson said: “I am so excited to join the Pedercini team for the last round of this years Superbike World Championship. Honestly, after the difficult season and the year we have had had it’s the best thing to have happened. I am eager to get to Portugal and to understand the bike and discover all the new things. It will be strange to be on track with the guys I usually watch and who I watched when I was younger. Telling myself that I will race a Superbike and be in the same Superpole for example as Scott Redding or Jonathan Rea or Leon Haslam is crazy. I remember in Barcelona I saw Leon and he said hello and now I will be riding with them.

“We never gave up this year, not one person who supported me. We had three years in World Supersport and some good races, but this year was a tough one, but sometimes it’s like that. We can now end the year positive. I think the category will suit me, I have ridden in World Endurance and didn’t do so badly. I know there will be a lot of work, but I like work and I am ready. I want to thank Imre and Team Toth for allowing us to share their garage this year. They are a good bunch of people and I have nothing but good things to say about them. I want to also thank Lucio Pedercini and David Salom for giving me the opportunity.”

You can follow all the action from the Estoril Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!