Motorcycling: Bayliss at the double to extend lead in race for the title

(AP)

Troy Bayliss got back to winning ways as he took both races in yesterday's World Superbikes round at Brno. Ducati's championship leader had not won since April and had never triumphed at the Czech circuit, but he broke that duck with a 47th career victory in race one and then consolidated his place at the top of the standings in race two.

Bayliss beat a fellow Australian, Troy Corser, by 1.5 seconds in the first race of the day and won by an even smaller margin in the second as Michel Fabrizio finished less than a second behind him. The 39-year-old Bayliss now has 309 points, 79 ahead of Max Neukirchner who could only manage seventh and fifth places yesterday.

Bayliss started in pole position but Max Biaggi and Corser tussled for the lead for more than half the race, before being overtaken by the experienced Australian in a spectacular move that almost ended in disaster.

Corser was attempting to take the lead from Biaggi when the former was very nearly taken out by Bayliss, who was trying to overtake on the other side of the Sterilgarda rider. The three avoided a crash, Bayliss taking the lead and clinging on for victory in his last race at the circuit.

Valentino Rossi extended his Moto GP championship lead after a fascinating duel with Casey Stoner saw him claim his maiden victory at the United States MotoGP at Laguna Seca last night. There had been nothing to choose between the pair until Stoner rode into the gravel with eight laps remaining and although he managed to get back into the race, the Australian could not claw back the gap.

The result sees Rossi take a 25-point lead over Stoner in the championship as the riders go into their four-week break before the next race in Brno.

* Tom Sykes was overdue a victory in the British Superbike Championship and the Rizla Suzuki rider set the record straight with two wins in the seventh round at Oulton Park.