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and if so it was an ignominious, strangely quiet way to go. Broc Parkes gave the NCR Ducati team a blast of good news, however, finishing eighth in the second race, once more ahead of Bostrom and Hitoyasu Izutsu in a straight fight. The reward is a BKM Honda ride in 2003, albeit in Supersport. Spaziotel Ducati's Juan Borja recovered from a no-score to go 11 th in race two, and Kawasaki's Chris Walker was 11 th and 12th. Nonetheless, he was the highest placed fourcylinder rider in the championship, in a creditable ninth position. Not bad for a guy on Dunlops and a sevenyear-old design of machine. For Kawasaki, their final fling in World Superbike was a muted one, with lzutsu's 10th the best of the day, and his best since his Sugo injury. In race one, Peter Goddard's Benelli experience was summed up when his engine sprung an oil leak. He fell at the entrance to Tamburello, his rear coated in oil. Michele Malatesta fell shortly afterward and then Hodgson. The triple failed to make the re-run, drawing a dull-gray veil over the day's proceedings for the small Italian factory. And their involvement in World Superbike, according to their own admission. The story today, however, was all about the amazing Edwards and the no less brilliant Bayliss, who put on a show to end all shows in a perfect setting, and in front of 97,000 fans over the weekend. The story of Edwards' season will live on in memory for a long time, as an object lesson on the rewards of perseverance. His 25 podium finishes in a row, only marred by a fourth at the very first Valencia race, are unique, not least because of the pace at which he has perennially conducted his business. Never less than excellent, only off the front row once after Superpole, and never, ever bowing to pressure or even the simple arithmetic. And considering the pressure he must have been under after news of his supposed move to Ducati leaked out, the very manufacturer he was racing against all season, remember, his resistance to breakage proved to be even more remarkable. And for the neutrals, Imola was a brilliant end to a season that was often predictable and simply dull to watch. Imola was anything but that; it was simply a classic high-speed game of nerve and skill. The most remarkable thing is that one of these two stellar Superbike talents, Edwards or Bayliss, actually managed to lose the title at Imola, such were their strengths relative to even the best of the rest all year. Maybe the better man won, maybe second was the first loser, maybe it all came down to the teams and machines when it counted. The one sure thing is that the last round was the best entertainment all year, and World Superbike racing in general left Imola feeling a lot better about itself than it did mid-season. The second-last word has to go to Bayliss, who took it all in his loping stride. "Everyone knows that I gave everything I've got all year. Colin has been riding well this weekend, and I managed to pull a rabbit out the bag and be on the pace from the first race, but whoever won today deserved the title, so fair play to Colin. I thought I'd be more unhappy than I am to have lost, but to be honest I'm not too bothered. Everyone knows I'm going to MotoGP, and since seeing the new bike a couple of months ago. it's been hard to get onto mine. I've got a Colin Edwards, the man of the prerace moment at lmola, took his fifth pole position of the 2002 season with an excellent 1:49.021 - even on a track that featured occasional damp patches under the many trees_ His stopwatch supremacy in the specialized disciple of Superpole was the 15th of his World Superbike career, and well thought out, considering how a bumpy piece of real estate Imola is in the bone dry, never mind on a day such as this. Despite losing time in the middle of his lap. and going second fastest on the middle split, having ridden with care over a few damp patches at Aqua MineraJe, and blaming a tire which was not quite scrubbed in hard enough, Edwards made it all up again in the last few comers and took a narrow - pre-race - win, his fifth of the season. "My out lap was a bit strange. The qualifying tires have a shine on them and they take a littie bit of use to get them working and as 1 came into the first right-hander, the rear came around on me and that kind of screwed my head up," Edwards said. "I knew the first half of the lap was no good so I got my head down and pushed hard over the second part. I'm looking forward to the race - I qualified on a race tire yesterday and we actually did a 1:47.8 at the test a couple of weeks ago, but didn't tell anybody because we didn't want to give them anything to shoot for. I'm feeling confident, feeling good, and the bike's working." Previous pole holder, Infostrada Ducat!'s Ruben Xaus, was only just demoted to second place; with his teammate Troy Bayliss sitting in a determined third place, a littie distance from his only championship rival Edwards in time and distance. "Tomorrow I want to make a good start and pull away because the battie between Colin and Troy is not mine," Xaus said. "I think it will be a good battle, but I want it to be behind me." "I'm here to do everything I can." Bayliss said. 'Colin's now leading. I now know how he felt two months ago, but things change. I'll be going for the win, but whoever has the best day tomorrow will be champion. I love racing here in Italy, and so far this season I've won all the races here. Tomorrow I will be doing everything humanely possible to win both races." The third make of machine on the front row proved to be Aprilia, with lone factory missile Noriyuki Haga having a good day in his machine's home country. An uncharacteristically reserved Superpole lap from Neil Hodgson put him fifth overall, on the second row, ahead of factory Ducati pilot Ben Bostrom. Hodgson's HM Plant Ducati teammate James Toseland maintained his good form with seventh-overall time in the Superpole discipline, with Pier-Francesco Chili a somewhat disappointed eighth overall on his NCR Ducati privateer machine. A spectacular crash. suffered by DFX Ducati rider Alessandro Antonello, resulted in man and machine being catapulted up the track after a huge highside, although Antonello was merely bashed and bruised. Caught on camera throughout, it was gruesome to watch, and basically a result of Antonello letting his sliding rear tire hit the concrete 'waffle plates' found on the outside of all the Imola curbs. His crash did, however, cause the caution flags to be posted for a period of time, just as Haga was going out. Two men on the move: Chris Walker (9) had his last ride with Kawasaki at Imola. Ditto for Ben Bostrom (155) with Ducat!. great bike in Superbikes, and a great team, and most of them are coming with me to GPs. Now Colin needs to sort himself out and come with me to MotoGP. I've been in Superbikes for three years, and I'm sorry to be leaving - it's a great paddock and very friendly and I've had a great time. I'll miss it, but I'll be back to check it out and see how things are going." The final word - to Edwards, who spoke of the future, not even the recent past. "For next year, we'll just have to wait for the official announcement, but I love racing motorcycles and wherever I go - Superbikes or GPs as long as I'm on a bike capable of winning, I'll be happy." eN Enzo eDina Ferrll" Circuit IIIUIIa, Italy Resuhs:September29,2DD2 QUAlIFYING: I. Colin Edwords (1:49.021): 2. Ruben Xous (1:49.155): 3. Troy Bayliss (1:49.702): 4. Noriyuki Hage (1 :49.993); 5. Neil Hodgson (1:50.107): 6. Ben Bostrom (1:50.638): 7. Jomes Toseland (1 :50.639); 8. Pier-Francesco Chili (I :50.688): 9. Ju.n Bor]. (I :50.917); 10. Lucio Pederein! (1:51.190): 11. Chris Wolker (1:51.837); 12. Alessandro Antonello (1:50.371); 13. HitoyDSU I,utsu (1:51.856): 14. Gregorio L.vlll. (1:51.944): 15. Mauro Borcizlni (1 :52.282); 16. Serllfino FaU (1:53.645): 17, M.reo S.nehini (1:52.263); 18, Brae .rkes (1:52.315): 19, Steve M.rtin (1:52.472): 20, Peter Godderd (1 :52.719); 21. Ivan CJ~mentj (1:53.950): 22. Michele Molotest. (1:54.300); 23. Alessandro VllliD (1 :54.329); 24. Jeronimo Vidal (I :54.933); 25. we. Plnl (1 :55.1 02): 26. P.olo Blor. (1 :55.247): 27. Mork Heckles (1 :55.255). RACE ONE: 1. Colin Edwards (Hon): 2. Troy Bayliss (Duc); 3. Ruben Xaus (Duc): 4. Neil Hodgson (Duc): 5. Noriyuki Hllgll (Apr); 6. James Toseland (Duc): 7. Pier-Francesco Chill (Duc); 8. Gregorio Laville (5uz); 9. Broc Parkes (Duc); 10. Ben Bostrom cue' • n • _ 55 • OCTOBER 9, 2002 15