The
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team has announced that Colin Edwards
has signed a new one-year contract to ride for the French-based squad
in the 2011 MotoGP world championship.

Next
year’s Monster Yamaha Tech3 line-up will feature a blend of vast
experience and young potential with Edwards partnering highly-rated
British rider Cal Crutchlow.

The
36-year-old has raced for Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 squad since 2008 and
during that period the popular American has produced his best form in
the MotoGP class. He finished top non-factory rider last season by
finishing fifth in the overall stangings and is currently 11th in the
2010 rankings with a best result of seventh position in Laguna Seca,
Brno and Misano.

Edwards,
who made his 100th appearance for Yamaha in today’s inaugural Motorland
Aragon race, has been a key figure in establishing the Monster Yamaha
Tech3 Team as the leading non-factory squad in MotoGP in the 800cc
four-stroke era.

And
his wealth of experience will be an invaluable asset in helping new
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Crutchlow adapt to MotoGP next season.

“I
am delighted to have signed a new one-year contract with the Monster
Yamaha Tech3 Team. I want to say a big thanks to Yamaha and to Tech3
for their unwavering support. I am honoured to continue my long and
successful relationship with Yamaha, Herve Poncharal and all at Tech3.
I love the team and feel like part of a big family and I’m thrilled
that our adventure together is continuing next year. I’m excited at the
challenge of competing in the MotoGP world championship again and still
being competitive in probably the strongest field in history is an
achievement I’m proud of. I am also looking forward to working with and
helping out Cal Crutchlow next season. I’d like to think I helped James
Toseland and Ben Spies adapt when they arrived in MotoGP, and I will be
doing my utmost to do the same for Cal if he needs any advice. I think
all of us can look forward to an exciting 2011 together.”