DUCATI have confirmed that Troy Corser will again partner Carl Fogarty in next year's World Superbikes championship.

And that is a move that has pleased the four times world champion.

"It's nice to have a team-mate you can beat," Fogarty said.

"I think Ducati wanted a couple of other guys but they didn't get them. But, at the end of the day, you cannot do much better than first and third in the championship," he added.

Fogarty has worked well this year with Corser, who finished third in the championship with the same number of points as Colin Edwards, and shared a lot of information on bike set-up.

Ducati were reported to be interested in the inexperienced 250cc Italian rider Loris Capirossi and the unpredictable Anthony Gobert, but he was sacked after failing to complete the American championship.

Superbikes organisers from Flammini are due to meet BBC bosses this weekend with a view to terrestrial television coverage.

And that's another move that would please Fogarty.

He said: "It would give me a bit more incentive, to push myself even harder. The BBC might be able to get it on the cheap as Flammini want terrestrial television coverage."

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