Bayliss undeterred by mistake

The runaway World Superbike Championship leader Troy Bayliss bounced back from a double fall in the opening race at Silverstone to take his ninth win of a remarkable season yesterday.

The Ducati Infostrada rider followed up his fifth place in race one to win the second from Castrol Honda's Colin Edwards, the winner of the first race. The British rider Neil Hodgson could not lift the spirits of a wet home crowd as he struggled in the rain to claim a third and sixth.

In the opening race, Bayliss's impeccable record this season came to an end on the third lap as he lost the back of his Ducati and slid into the grass, thumping his bike in frustration. That left Edwards, who had been forced to cut across the grass to avoid the Australian, in the lead closely followed by Hodgson, the HM Plant Ducati rider having made up three positions at the start before edging past Noriyuki Haga halfway round the opening lap.

However, Hodgson was soon under challenge from Haga's Playstation 2 Aprilia and on lap 10 the Japanese edged past the Burnley rider and held on to second place. Meanwhile, Edwards kept cool in driving rain and was never threatened as Bayliss eventually claimed a gutsy fifth.

Edwards' second race began in disastrous fashion though, the American sliding off on the formation lap to leave him with a frantic chase to claim his rightful second spot on the grid.

He made up for that error by storming into the lead at the start, with Ruben Xaus making a stunning start from the second row to take second. Yet Bayliss nosed in front at the start of the second lap as Edwards dropped to fifth.

It soon became a duel between the two of them at the front, the Texan working his way back through the field and snatching the lead again midway through the race.

Bayliss refused to throw in the towel and harried Edwards, the Australian getting his man soon after, ghosting past the Honda to return to the front.

As the track began to dry Bayliss then strolled to a commanding victory from Edwards and Xaus. Eckl Kawasaki's Chris Walker finished an excellent fourth, while the Renegade Ducati wildcard Shane Byrne took fifth followed by Hodgson.

Bayliss, the current world champion, now enjoys a 31-point lead over Edwards in the riders' standings with Hodgson, who never really got going in front of his expectant fans after a miserable superpole session, a distant third.