BURNLEY biker Neil Hodgson hopes to put the mid-summer break to full use when the World Superbike Championship returns to action in Germany on Sunday.

The HM Plant Ducati rider, lying third in the standings going into the Oschersleben round, knows his chances of catching top two Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards are slim with just three rounds remaining.

But the Burnley-born 28-year-old is revitalised after the time off and looking forward to the start of qualifying tomorrow.

"It was good to have some time off to relax," admitted Hodgson, who now lives on the Isle of Man.

"But I never stopped thinking about the championship. Oschersleben was a tough round for me last year, but it definitely won't be this time."

Hodgson hopes to put lessons learned in last year's round at the same track to good use.

Last season at the German circuit he finished down the field in seventh and tenth and he is determined to go better this time around.

"It's very difficult to overtake there, and if I want to crack it, I'm going to need a good start, then be fast into turn one and strong coming out of the final bend," he said.

"The rest of the circuit is just follow my leader.

"I'm going to have to be at the top of my game if I want to stay third in the world and right now I feel very much like I am."

In the last round of races Hodgson was on home soil at Brands Hatch and he managed to get one podium finish as he came home third and fourth.

A place on the podium will again be his minimum target as he looks for a strong finish to a campaign that has seen him the best of the rest behind the top two of Bayliss and Edwards.

Hodgson's team-mate James Toseland is also relieved the holidays are over.

The 21-year-old from Sheffield is itching to get back in the saddle and relishes the prospect of tackling the German circuit.

"Oschersleben was a good round for me last year," he said.

"I like the circuit and it seems to suit my riding style.

"The power characteristics and manoeuvrability of the HM Plant Ducati are also perfect for the combination of right and left handers.

"My main aim is to finish in front of my future team-mate Chris Walker. "I'm only five points ahead of him at the moment and I've got a bit of a fight on my hands if I want to hold on to seventh place in the championship - I definitely won't be hanging about this weekend."

Nottingham's Walker, who races for the Fuchs Kawasaki team, has signed to be Toseland's team-mate next season following Hodgson's promotion to the full factory Ducati team.