Ducati Corse rider Ruben Xaus had a tall order in race two today at Imola. He needed to put himself in between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards--with Bayliss in the lead--in order for Bayliss to win the title.

Xaus came very close to accomplishing that goal; the former race winner at Imola came from seemingly nowhere on in the last third of the race to chase down the lead pair.

"I kept seeing on my pit board that he was whittling the time down, two seconds, 1.6 seconds, 1.4 and then he was almost right there," current World Superbike champion Colin Edwards II said after the race, " and I thought to myself, 'Oh shit'".

Xaus had closed the gap to less than two bike lengths to Edwards while Bayliss led, but then the clutch on his Ducati Superbike failed and he was unable to match the leaders. He finished a distant third.