NEIL HODGSON was able to take consolation from Assen through the World Superbike championship success of his buddy Troy Bayliss.

The Australian clinched the title with two race wins, thanks to a little help from his friend and team-mate Ruben Xaus.

The Spaniard twice let Bayliss through as Ducati team orders took effect.

And, with Colin Edwards only able to finish tenth in the second race at the TT Circuit van Drenthe in the north of Holland, Bayliss sneaked home by two points and with a round still remaining.

The Ducati number one, who replaced Carl Fogarty after his injury in Australia last year, was also the team-mate of Hodgson in 1999 in the British domestic championship for the GSE Racing team - and retains the services of GSE owner Darrell Healey as his personal manager.

So, although Hodgson lost ground in his attempt to overhaul Troy Corser in the points standings, Bayliss' success has added weight to Hodgson's conviction that he too can one day rule the world.

The Burnley rider said: "If it wasn't going to me, I can't think of anyone I'd prefer to win the title than Troy. He's a great mate and a good bloke.

"He's also very fit, as I found out during a five-hour cycle ride in the South of France last month!

"But he won the British title two years ago, so maybe I can win the world title next year."

Hodgson was unable to stage his own challenges at the front of the field having qualified on the fourth row of the grid.

Having set some of the fastest times of Saturday's wet Superpole competition, he was caught out by a heavy shower, just a minute before he was due to post his best time.

From that position he was forced to pick his way through the pack to finish fifth on both occasions.

He added: "Last week at Oschersleben I was first at the end of the first lap because of a terrible start but couldn't pass people there.

"At least this time I was able to move up through the field after finding myself tenth at the end of the first lap."

Hodgson now trails Corser by 10 points with the final round of Imola at the end of September remaining.

First race result: 1 Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati) 27m 08.793s, 2 Ruben Xaus, Spain (Ducati) 27m 08.959s, 3 Colin Edwards, USA (Castrol Honda) 27m 09.875s, 4 Pier-Francesco Chili, Italy (Suzuki) 27m 13.860s, 5 Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 27m 21.544s, 6 Troy Corser, Australia (Aprilia) 27m 22.131s, 7 Tady Okada, Japan (Castrol Honda) 27m 24.051s, 8 Akira Yanagawa, Japan (Kawasaki) 27m 24.399s, 9 Regis Laconi, France (Aprilia) 27m 24.604s, 10 James Toseland, GB (Ducati) 27m 29.375s.

Second: 1 Bayliss 33m 31.896s, 2 Xaus 33m 32.117s, 3 Corser 33m 36.471s, 4 Chili 33m 36.672s, 5 Hodgson 33m 38.607s, 6 Yanagawa 33m 38.717s, 7 Laconi 33m 44.406s, 8 Toseland 33m 45.745s, 9 Gregorio Lavilla, Spain (Kawasaki) 33m 45.922s, 10 Edwards 33m 52.961s.

World Superbike championship points after 12 of 13 rounds: 1 Bayliss 369, 2 Edwards 317, 3 Ben Bostrom, USA (Ducati) 286, 4 Corser 264, 5 Hodgson 254, 6 Chili 225, 7 Xaus 191, 8 Yanagawa 170, 9 Okada 149, 10 Lavilla 147.