Troy Bayliss ready to kick off 2018 ASBK Campaign
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you, nobody would really get it.”
That was Troy Bayliss’ answer to the question ‘Why’, at 48-years-old and with nothing to prove why would the three-time World Superbike Champion and MotoGP race winner come out of retirement.
“But I am here now anyway… A few years ago when I did do that wildcard, that was a real one-off thing that just happened, this one we’ve had a few months to prepare for.
“I am sort of excited, but I am not really sure, but I know I have done a lot of work to try and get in the best shape and do the best job I can.
“I find myself back here at the ASBK, at the time when the Championship is the strongest it has ever been, we’ve got so many competitors this weekend.
“I’m certainly maybe not the man I used to be, but I am going to give it a nudge, and hopefully I can run up the front with these guys sometimes, which would be nice.
“Of course I am excited to be riding a Ducati in the DesmoSport Team, I really want to thank everybody that has come on board with us this year, and also supported us over the last couple of years as well, we hope we can do a good job this year and get some good coverage, just keep on rolling.”
Responding to a comment about him looking in great shape, and asking if he took up Yoga as he had suggested he was going to do on social media some time ago.
“No, didn’t happen. I just wake up and have a good stretch, an old man stretch basically, actually Oli (Troy’s youngest son), gave me a hand this morning to help stretch me out.
“The bikes must be getting taller, I don’t know what it is, they seem a lot harder to swing my leg up and over to get on to, but they are easier to get off.
“At the same time, everyone wants to win, and I didn’t come here just to ride around.”
Bayliss ended the opening 30-minute ASBK practice session this afternoon second quickest, and has made real progress since the official ASBK Test here some weeks ago, which was essentially an initial shakedown for the new DesmoSport Ducati campaign. Now things get serious…
