Toseland strengthens title bid

World Superbike Championship leader James Toseland won the first race of two in the series' third round at Donington Park.

Toseland, who hails from Sheffield but is now based in the Isle of Man, topped the podium for the third time this season after defending champion Troy Bayliss crashed out while leading the race.

Victory took Toseland to 115 championship points, 25 clear of nearest rival Max Biaggi.

In bright but blustery conditions at the 2.5-mile Leicestershire circuit, it had been Bayliss, starting from pole position, who claimed the holeshot heading into Redgate corner with Toseland second and Regis Laconi third.

Ruben Xaus and Lorenzo Lanzi came close to grief on the field's first entrance to Fogarty's Esses but narrowly avoided a collision ahead of Xaus taking over in third.

And by the start of the fifth lap, the gap between Bayliss and Toseland stood at 0.89 seconds while Xaus would soon lose his third place to 2005 World Champion Troy Corser.

But at Coppice Corner, on the sixth lap, Bayliss slid across the circuit and into the gravel trap to gift the lead to Toseland who took full advantage by stretching the gap to Corser to 3.525secs by the time the 23-lap race reached its halfway stage.

And the status quo was maintained at the head of the race as Toseland came home 1.368secs clear of Corser with Biaggi in third.

Shortly after the race, a Xerox Ducati spokesman confirmed Bayliss had lost most of the little finger on his right hand as a result of his crash.

Bayliss was taken to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in nearby Derby for plastic surgery but should feature once more in the next round at Valencia in two weeks' time.