Unbeaten Hodgson stretches Superbikes lead

Neil Hodgson tightened his grip on the World Superbike Championship with a double win here yesterday to take his tally this season to a perfect six out of six.

The Ducati Fila rider had missed out on pole position for the first time this season after practice on Saturday, but scored fine victories in both races, including an epic battle with Alstare Suzuki's Gregorio Lavilla in race two, to stretch his lead in the title standings to 46 points.

"Gregorio gave me a hard time," said Hodgson. "He kept the pressure on and his Suzuki and my Ducati were pretty evenly matched. Five laps to go I picked up the pace deliberately and that was enough. The old Neil Hodgson wouldn't have done that, but I'm starting to use my head a bit and administer the races better."

Hodgson's team-mate and nearest challenger in the championship, Ruben Xaus, had recorded four consecutive second places but could finish only fourth in both events here.

In race one, Hodgson eclipsed Regis Laconi, who had gained a surprise pole position, to win by seven seconds from the NCR Ducati man, with Sheffield's James Toseland securing a fine third place for HM Plant Ducati.

Toseland's team-mate Chris Walker, from Nottingham, was taken out of the race in a first-corner accident, which also claimed Foggy Petronas Racing's No 1 rider Troy Corser and PSG Ducati's Pierfrancesco Chili. Walker suffered a broken bone in his foot.

Hodgson was pushed all the way in the second contest and won by less than a second from Lavilla, with Chili bouncing back from his first-race crash to take the last podium place.