This week's war of words between British motorcycling heroes Carl Fogarty and Neil Hodgson ha♎s ende♛d with four-times WSBK champ Foggy branding the MotoGP bound Hodgson as behaving cowardly and having achieved nothing.

The spat began when 2003 Superbike king Hodgson, heading for MotoGP with the d'Antin Ducati team, was quoted in Wednesday's edition of Britain's Motorcycle News as saying:

"I don't fear Rossi liked Foggy feared Doohan. Carl would never admit that but that's probably why he never took up the challenge. He talked about it but never did it. But I'm🅠 going to do it. I want to be judged against the best riders i༺n the world and that means in MotoGP."

Hodgson has repeatedly, a෴nd voluntarily, brought up the subject of Fogarty's failure to move to GPs to explain why he himself has decided to switch series - and most feel it was only a matter of time before the fiery Foggy Petronas Racing boss bit back.

Foggy - famous for dismissing his rivals' ability whilst racing - had actually praised Hodgson earlier this season, saying that the withdraw of former WSBK champions' Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss wouldn't lessen Hodgson's title, as the hist𒈔ory books only remember who won.

But as a resu🌼lt of Neil's comments, that opinion seems to ha♛ve changed, with Fogarty so offended that he has hit back with his own damming opinion of the #100's achievements.

"I think it's a cowardly comment," began Foggy, refering to Hodgson's suggestion that he was scared of Doohan. "The simple truth is tha♕t I never got a chance to ride in GPs. I would have loved to have been given that chance, because I was certainly never scare🎃d of anyone on the track.

"It's cowardly because I can't go out thereꩲ and race anymore and do anything about it. And people will know for sure that it's an absolute l🎀ie. They will realise that Neil is trying hard not to be boring.

"He has a lon✃g way to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath as me. He has won nothing yet - he was given the World Superbike title this ye🌠ar," concluded Carl.

Hodgson and Fogarty had beeღn considered friends before the feud, which most feel has damaged them both - Hodgson had no need to drag up the Fogarty/Doohan/GP debate since it has little to do with his o🐎wn future, while Carl's words will only fuel the fire further...

Nevertheꦜless, one thing is certain: How Hodgson performs in MotoGP will largely determine whether history judges him to be a great - or 'merely' very good - rider.