Fogarty: 'I'll not retire'

Having an ox-like constitution to match the obduracy of a wildebeest has long been central to Carl Fogarty's success, so when the four-times World Superbike champion yesterday made it plain that a broken arm and a touch of wounded pride would not halt his career, the announcement will not have caused great surprise to his legion of British fans, writes Andrew Martin.

Expectations that the Ducati racer might retire after breaking an arm during last month's Australian Grand Prix were fuelled by a grumpy, pre-season declaration that he would quit should he suffer another serious injury. However, a typically forthright Fogarty said: "There is nothing in my mind to make me consider retiring. I've heard all the talk that I was going to call it all a day but there's no way. I still want to go racing. I know I talked about retiring in the past but this is not the way I want to leave racing."

He went on to inform Motor Cycle News: "I still have plenty to do out there. It's only a broken arm and as soon as I'm fit enough I will be back on a bike."

That should be either at Hockenheim on 4 June or Misano on 18 June.