SHOULD Neil Hodgson fulfil his destiny and win the World Superbike championship in Assen, Holland, tomorrow, will his crowning glory open up a new chapter in the Burnley Bullet's career - or mark the end of the road? In the third and final part of the bike ace's life story, Chief Reporter MICHELLE FIDDLER and reporter NICK EVANS spoke to Neil and his best and oldest friend Matthew Riley to find out what the future holds. . .

IF Neil Hodgson comes home victorious from Assen it will signal the culmination of a 20 year dream - and bring about the perfect end to the most amazing week of the 29 year-old's life.

Preparations for the race meeting which could see him clinch the world title were interrupted when Neil's wife Kathryn gave birth to 7lb Holly Jean at a hospital close to the couple's home on the Isle of Man earlier this week.

But after matching the achievement of biking greats including Barry Sheene and Blackburn's Carl Fogarty, winning a world title could also mark the beginning of the end for Neil's career in motorbike racing as the desire to spend more time with his family grows.

Neil said: "I have been racing for 20 years so in a way you lose the passion for it. I am not complaining about it, but you are pushing yourself to the limit all the time.

"I could race for another 10 years or just do it for another three years.

"Instead of diluting it over the 10 years I could throw everything I can at it and then after three years quit while I am ahead.

"But you never know what is round the corner."

Neil hasn't ruled out moving back to his birthplace of Lancashire after he finishes racing, although he would still keep a property on the Isle of Man - his home for the past five years.

He said: "I hope to do something after racing. It would be interesting to have a biography written and I would like to stay involved in the sport.

"I know all about the stresses and the strains, but it would be nice not to have that knot in the middle of your stomach all the time.

"The pressure gets worse. Five years ago I would have been happy with second place. I would have been doing cartwheels.

"But now I sulk like a big baby because second place means I have lost.

"I have not really been thinking about this weekend's race. I have taken my focus off it.

"To be honest, thinking about the baby has been 100 times more nerve-racking.

"I am a control freak, but I haven't been able to control this.

"But I want to go out and go as hard as I can and try to win at Assen. It would be nice to be able to win the championship in style."

Neil's best friend Matthew Riley, said: "I've always tried to follow Neil's career as closely as I could. I used to watch him as a schoolboy and when he went on to the Grand Prix circuit.

"A group of us are going over to Assen to watch the race and hopefully to celebrate come Sunday night.

"I certainly don't think winning the championship will be in any way the end of what Neil wants to achieve. He is very ambitious and wants to go on and try to beat Carl Fogarty's record.

"I also think he'd like to try his hand at presenting on the TV. He's appeared on shows like A Question of Sport and is always very relaxed and at ease in front of the cameras, he is just very natural. I think a TV career could be the future for Neil when he decides he has had enough of bikes, but that isn't yet."