BSB: Sylvain Barrier joins Hickman at Smiths BMW

Double European Superstock champion Sylvain Barrier will join Peter Hickman in the Smiths Racing BMW camp for the 2018 British Superbike Championship.

As reported by MCN earlier this month, the 29-year-old, who won the European Superstock series for BMW in both 2012 and 2013, is relishing the new challenge as he heads to the UK after competing in MotoAmerica this year following two years in World Superbikes.

While he admits he’s expecting to struggle with many of the British circuits, he’s already made plans to head to many of the tracks over winter on a road bike for familiarisation, which started at Cadwell Park this past weekend. 

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“I’m really looking forward to competing in BSB in 2017,” he said. “I tested at Cadwell on a road bike this weekend with Peter Hickman there to help, he’ll be a good team-mate as he’s a nice guy and fast. There is no doubt this will be a tough learning year for me, but I am ready to give it 100%. 

“I know that I will struggle at certain tracks, but I have a road-going S1000RR and will be riding at all of them over the winter to begin to learn, as well as testing the race bike with the rest of the team. I’ll be giving it my all to be competitive from the start.” 

Hickman remains with the squad for both the BSB and international road racing season, as MCN reported earlier this year.

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