Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) arrives in Germany in an enviable position in the championship chase, with a clear 100 point advantage over second place rider James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda), after the 2001 champion's latest victory in race two at Assen last weekend. A short hop across Northern Europe now sees the entire championship decamped to Central Europe, close to the Polish border, at the magnificently appointed mega-venue of Eurospeedway Lausitz. The 4.265 kilometre circuit is ringed by a NASCAR style banked section, while a test track bisects the back straight, making Lausitz one of the most expansive and versatile circuits imaginable.