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World Superbike Championship Round 11: Oschersleben, Germany quently immaculate self on those days. This weekend, with everyone rested, a faster, more responsive Honda redressing the small advantage Ducati's number-one rider has enjoyed thus far, and at a track which appears to suit Edwards as much as anyone, the emphatic nature of the Texan's win was lost on no one. Had Honda supplied Edwards with the obvious improvements to his bike earlier in the season, we could be in a real neck-and-neck race, not just one being led by a smaller, but tantalizingly distant, margin. Edwards' front-running performances in Germany were untouchable. His speed saw him repeatedly improve on the lap-record mark, using his double-piped VTR SP-2 to set a final best of 1:26.549. This figure compares well even with Neil Hodgson's absolute circuit record of By GORDON RITCHIE PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE OSCHERSLEBEN,GERMANY,SEP. I aving taken five race wins in the last five attempts, Colin Edwards can feel pretty happy with his recent form. Though he has to be less happy to still have to leave the environs of Oschersleben with a 29-point disadvantage to season-long championship leader Troy Bayliss. Despite taking both race wins, a new lap record and a full complement of 50 championship points, the Castrol Honda rider still has a lot of work to do to close the gap to Bayliss, but he will be immeasurably heartened that, not only did he beat Bayliss, he beat him completely fair and square. Injured before the Laguna Seca and Brands races, Bayliss was arguably a little distance from his free SEPTEMBER 11, 2002' a' U a H I _ n _ _ os 1:26.502, achieved on his HM Plant Ducati during Saturday's Superpole competition. In other words, Edwards was flat out for 56 laps and out in front in both races. Edwards now trails Bayliss by 29 points, with a possible 100 available for any rider winning each of the last four races of the season. A tall order sure enough, but at least Edwards can feel confident about maybe exerting pressure from the front, not just tagging on behind. Just to reinforce the earlier "five" analogy some more, this was the fifth time in six attempts Edwards won at Oschersleben, in his fifth Honda season before he gets a taste of Ducati power in 2002. "I knew the race would be so important here, so I watched the sidecar yesterday and the Superstock race today to see the lights," Edwards (Above) Colin Edwards (2) leads Troy Bayliss (1), polesltter Nell Hodgson (100), Noriyuld Haga (41), and the res1 01 the pack earty In race two. said after winning race one. "We got some new bits for the bike after Suzuka, and the bike is better. It may be too little too late, but it's also better late than never. At this track, everything is working good. We came to the circuit knowing what tires and what suspension settings we were going to run. So, since Friday afternoon, we've just been trying things to see if we can improve the bike any more. Oschersleben is one of those tracks where we can just show up and be on the pace." Bayliss didn't seem fazed by the cut into his points lead, and he goes to Assen with his usual optimistic attitude.