Australian Ducati rider Troy Bayliss finally clinched his second World Superbike title at Imola on October 1, becoming just the fourth Australian to win more than one world motorcycle road racing championship.

Bayliss (999F06) finished fifth in the opening 21-lap race at Imola, which left him with an unassailable 84-point lead over Honda’s James Toseland (CBR1000RR). With all the pressure off, Bayliss then streaked to his 11th win of the season in race two.

"I'm really happy for myself and for Ducati Xerox with the title win" said an elated Bayliss. "We've worked well all year, the second half has been a little bit up and down but I've just had to ride harder.

“It's been very busy today with all the Ducati factory here, but I'm happy as well for everyone who made this win possible… to do it at Imola today was very special. I've got a great team, and a lovely bike, and I wanted to win the second race to put the icing on the cake!"

After three years in MotoGP, Bayliss made an immediate impact on his return to Superbike action in 2006, leaving his opposition short of breath as he won eight of the opening 12 races.

That early rampage left Bayliss with a huge lead at the top of the table, which proved all the difference as the championship tightened up in the second half of the year.

Only Troy Corser (Superbike), Warwick Nowland (Endurance) and the incomparable Mick Doohan (500cc GP) have won more than one world road racing title, while Bayliss is now the sixth multiple Superbike champion behind Fred Merkel, Doug Polen, Carl Fogarty, Colin Edwards and Corser.

Race one at Imola was won by Brazilian rookie Alex Barros (CBR1000RR), who became the eighth separate winner in 2006, and the 54th rider to stand atop a World Superbike podium. Barros previously finished second in the 1999 500cc GP at Imola.

Australian Andrew Pitt (YZF-R1), polesitter Bayliss and Toseland all led in the opening 10 laps before Barros made his way to the front; an advantage that he would not relinquish for the balance of the journey.

Toseland and Pitt, who nearly highsided on lap seven, remained lonely figures in second and third until the chequered flag, while Haga commandeered fourth position from Bayliss on the final lap.

Karl Muggeridge (CBR1000RR) made it three Aussies in the top 10, finishing eigth after a spirited battle with Lorenzo Lanzi (999F06) and Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki ZX-10R).

Meanwhile, dethroned world champion Corser (Suzuki GSX-R1000), who started from the front row of the grid alongside Bayliss, Toseland and Pitt, ran off the circuit after hitting a false neutral and eventually retired to the pits as a precautionary measure.

Corser was then ninth in race two as Bayliss re-affirmed to the 87,000-strong crowd that the balance of World Superbike power had returned to Ducati.

Bayliss led all the way, with Barros recovering from woeful start to finish second, 1.413 seconds the Australian.

With Corser consigned to yet another sobering result, Japan’s Yukio Kagayama (GSX-R1000) maintained a strong Suzuki presence with third, just ahead of the pugnacious Pitt, who has been the most consistent Australian the second half of this year’s campaign. Toseland was fifth.

Muggeridge was again eighth, while Josh Brookes (ZX-10R, 15-17) and Steve Martin (Petronas FP1, DNF-16) struggled in what was a heavy day of attrition.

Bayliss now has 393pts ahead of next week’s finale in at Magny-Cours (France), 98 clear of Toseland (295). Then it’s Haga (293), Pitt (239), Barros (231) and Corser (218). Pitt and Barros both moved up a spot at Imola, while Corser free-fell from fourth to sixth.

IN WORLD SUPERSPORT – KEVIN CURTAIN HOLDS ONTO CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

In Supersport, 40-year-old Kevin Curtain (Yamaha YZF-R6) was hoping to make it a red-letter day for Australia, but will now have to wait until Magny-Cours (France) to attempt to win his maiden world title.

Curtain was third at Imola behind Honda CBR600RR-riding teammates Sebastien Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu, who rode in formation for nearly the entire race.

Predictably, Charpentier was at the front when it counted most, and trimmed 9pts off Curtain’s championship lead. It’s now down to 18pts (187 to 169).

"I did the best I could with what I had but we just didn't have enough rear grip to challenge Sebastien and Kenan today,” said Curtain. “I don't know what it was, if it was the temperature or the tyre, but it made it a long hard and lonely race. I'm disappointed that I couldn't run with Sebastien today but if you'd told me at the start of the season that we'd be going to the final race with an 18-point lead I'd have taken it like a shot. We did a professional job today and we've now got to do more of the same at Magny-Cours next weekend."

Curtain’s Aussie teammate Broc Parkes (YZF-R6) returned from serious injury at Imola, and soldiered through the 20-lapper to finish sixth.