The immediate future of the World Superbike series is currently under debate, for a number of reasons. But the riders still had to concentrate on their jobs. In qualifying it was no surprise to see Ducati runners securing all the front row positions, but this time it was Rubén Xaus on pole - his first to date. The Fila rider was joined by team-mate Hodgson (third), and also by the men who are likely to take over the works machines next year - Régis Laconi (second) and James Toseland (fourth).

Frankie Chili lined up fifth on another Ducati 998, ahead of Troy Corser’s Foggy FP1 - the bike’s best performance since round two. The DFX Ducatis of Steve Martin and Juan Borja completed the second row, followed by Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki), Chris Walker (Ducati), Ivan Clementi (Kawasaki), Lucio Pedercini, Marco Borciani (both Ducati), Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki) and David García (eleventh of the Ducatis).

Race one didn’t begin well for Chili, who tried to delay the start when his bike died on the grid. The Italian pushed his PSG-1 machine into the pitlane exit road, only to see the rest of the field flagged away on schedule. The mechanics got Frankie’s bike started, but he was now coming from behind. It would lead to an inspired ride through the field, although any hopes of contending with the leaders were gone in a flash.

Another early casualty was Toseland. Running fourth behind Xaus, Hodgson and Laconi, James was forced to pull up as they reached the Rivazza corners for the first time, his gear lever broken. Thus, Xaus led from Hodgson, Laconi, Walker, Corser, Martin and Lavilla at the end of lap one. It quickly became apparent that the two 999 machines were going to run away from the rest, although Laconi did his best to hang on as he also but some space between himself and his pursuers.

Xaus was the first to set fastest lap, but Hodgson still kept the sister machine on his tail, closing tight in with a best lap of his own. Xaus treated the crowd to some of his trademark sliding, and Hodgson managed some twitches as well as he pushed the pace. It wasn’t entirely surprising when Rubén suffered a huge slide that let his team-mate past, and the same incident gave Neil some breathing space. But the Spaniard was on the attack as he closed in again.

The thrilling two-way battle heated up when Xaus got onto the inside for the Villeneuve chicane, moving back ahead. But moments later he slid briefly at the Tosa corner, giving Hodgson a space on the inside. The champion outbraked Rubén and they touched, the Spaniard’s bike pushed wide. But Xaus came back immediately up the hill for the left-hander at Piratella, finally repaying the compliment at the Variante Alta!

It had been a frantic few moments, and they seemed to calm it down after that, relatively speaking. Hodgson continued pushing Xaus, and he made a neat pass on the penultimate lap, going inside at the first Rivazza corner. The final lap saw Xaus repeat his move at Villeneuve, put Hodgson kept the pressure on. However, backmarkers managed to get in the way at Rivazza this time, and Neil went wide there, giving Rubén just the break he needed.

Laconi came in third after a relatively lonely race, with Lavilla emerging in fourth. Walker had established himself in this position to begin with, in front of a group comprising Corser, Martin, Lavilla and Pedercini. However, Corser had then gone backwards, Lavilla following Martin past the FP1 rider. These two moved clear, and after Walker, as Pedercini also got ahead of Corser.

Of this bunch, only three would finish. Walker went down after apparently tangling with Lavilla, and Pedercini also went out of the race. But the man to watch had been Chili. Up to seventeenth in the early stages, he had made his way past the likes of García, Clementi and Borciani to run eighth. He then moved in on Corser and went through into sixth, with Pedercini’s demise. Quicker than Martin, he finally picked up fifth at the flag.

Martin was sixth, ahead of Corser, Sanchini, Clementi, Borciani, Borja, García, Alex Gramigni, Sergio Fuertes and wildcard Luca Pini. Among the others to retire was Foggy Petronas rider James Haydon, with some kind of engine glitch.

There was more of the same from the works Fila Ducatis in race two. This time Hodgson led away, pursued by Xaus, Laconi, Walker, Toseland, Corser, Lavilla, Chili, Clementi and Borja. Martin was the man out of luck on this occasion, a troubled bike forcing him to tour round to the pits. As before, the gap behind the first two began to grow and grow, as they traded fastest laps in the early stages.

Xaus tracked Hodgson closely for a number of laps, and then found a way inside and past at Piratella. Neil came back through at the next chicane, holding off Rubén’s renewed attentions. Beyond half distance they were still very close, with the English rider maintaining his defence of the lead. With five laps remaining, they seemd to have backed off the pace a touch.

With three to go, Xaus went by on the inside at the Tamburello chicane, getting himself a slight gap in the process. At this stage, Laconi was 11s down on the pair. The battle was on again as soon as Hodgson regained the lost ground, but he then suffered a twitch at Tosa, running off the track and through the gravel. Although he found the slip road and rejoined the circuit, Neil was now in fifth place. Xaus duly wrapped up his second double of 2003.

There had been a four-way group disputing third place. Laconi survived this for second at the flag, having lost out in a tussle with Toseland. Sadly for James, his progress from fifth was in vain, as he went down for a double no score. The incident warranted a trip to the medical centre. With Corser relegated to eighth very quickly, and then losing further places to Pedercini and the Kawasakis, Laconi’s other challengers had been Walker and Lavilla, with Chili behind them on his own.

Frankie’s day had been ended by an apparent engine problem, when running seventh, but Lavilla had no such worries. He moved up with Toseland, stretching away from Walker and tagging on behind Laconi. The Suzuki duly finished third. Meanwhile, Walker had Hodgson all over him on the final lap, and was unable to stop his old rival from recovering fourth at the finish.

The remaining points went to Pedercini, Corser, Sanchini, Borja, García, Borciani, Gramigni, Fuertes, Horst Saiger and Pini. Retirements included Clementi’s ZX-7RR, which the Italian crashed when ninth, and Haydon’s FP1 with a second engine problem.

The big contest remains for third overall, but James Toseland’s disappointing day dropped him behind Régis Laconi, and into range for Gregorio Lavilla. It should be an interesting season finale at Magny-Cours. Also, Frankie Chili remains close behind sixth man Chris Walker.

Standings after twenty-two races: Hodgson 464; Xaus 341; Laconi 257; Toseland 240; Lavilla 230; Walker 202; Chili 197; Martin 119; Borciani 109; Pedercini 107.

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