Troy Bayliss: a legend of the sport

Troy Bayliss is quite simply a legend for Ducati and the world of motorcycle racing. The 39-year old rider from Taree, Australia has this year taken his third World Superbike title, riding the Ducati 1098 F08, having first won the title in 2001 and then again in 2006, when he returned to the category after three years in MotoGP.

In 2006 Bayliss was called in for a one-off ride in the last MotoGP race of the year at Valencia deputising for Sete Gibernau. He dominated from the start to take that long sought-after maiden GP win. Bayliss was a very late starter to racing at the age of 23, the Aussie campaigning a Kawasaki back home in the first half of the 1990s.

Two wildcard entries in the Australian rounds of 250GP and WSBK in 1997 earned him a ride in the British Superbike Championship for the next two years, and he completed the job in 1999 by taking the BSB crown. His entry into the factory Ducati World Superbike team in 2000 came about following Carl Fogarty’s career-ending crash in 2000 at Phillip Island. Sixth overall in his first season was followed by the Australian’s domination in 2001 when he took the title for the first time, riding the Ducati 996R, finishing the season with a 36-point advantage over second-placed Colin Edwards.

After then losing out to Edwards in 2002 in what was a classic finale at Imola, and despite 14 race wins that season, Bayliss spent the next two years in GP racing with Ducati and one more with Honda before coming back to where he feels at home, World Superbike.

In 2006, racing for the Ducati Xerox Team on board the Ducati 999, 12 race wins and a total of 16 podium finishes secured him his second world title, a testimony to the incredible competitiveness of the Australian who won the championship by a clear margin of 95 points ahead of James Toseland.

A fourth place finish after seven race wins followed in the 2007 championship before this year’s spectacular performance, a season which has included nine race wins and 17 podiums on his all-conquering 1098F08.

Troy will retire from Superbike racing at the end of the 2008 season, which concludes in Portugal on November 2. So far, he has accumulated an awe-inspiring collection of 50 race wins, 92 podium finishes and 25 pole positions.

Nationality: Australian
Age: 39
Date of birth: March 30, 1969
Place of birth: Taree, NSW
Residence: Monaco
Height: 174cm
Weight: 68kg
Marital status: married to Kim, three children - Mitch, Abbey and Ollie
Hobbies: cycling and training
Race number: 21

CAREER
2008: World Superbike Champion (Ducati Xerox)
2007: World Superbike Championship, 4th (Ducati Xerox)
2006: World Superbike champion (Ducati Xerox)
2005: MotoGP World Championship, 15th (Camel Honda Pons)
2004: MotoGP World Championship, 14th (Ducati Marlboro)
2003: MotoGP World Championship, 6th (Ducati Marlboro)
2002: World Superbike Championship, 2nd (Ducati Infostrada)
2001: World Superbike champion (Ducati Infostrada)
2000: World Superbike Championship, 6th (Ducati Infostrada)
1999: British Superbike champion (GSE Racing Ducati)
1998: British Superbike Championship, 6th (GSE Racing Ducati)
1997: Australian Superbike Championship, 2nd (Suzuki)
1996: Australian Superbike Championship, 3rd (Kawasaki)
1995: Australian Supersport Championship, 2nd (Kawasaki)
1994: Australian Supersport Championship, 6th (Kawasaki)
1992: First road racing events
1975: First motocross and dirt track events

WORLD SUPERBIKE FORM
First race: 1997 AUS  
First pole position: 2000 USA
First fastest lap: 2000 GER
First podium: 2000 GER
First win: 2000 GER

Races / podiums: 154 / 92
Podiums: 1st / 2nd / 3rd: 50 / 29 / 13
Titles: 3 (2001, 2006, 2008)
Pole positions: 25