BACK problems could scupper Carl Fogarty's bid to extend his lead in the World Superbike Championship at Monza on Sunday.

The Blackburn bullet has been undergoing intensive treatment on the injury in a frantic bid to be fit for the fifth round in Italy.

But that's only likely to act as a short-term solution and the 32-year-old Ducati ace might have to grin and bear it until specialists can take a properly look at the problem during a mid-season break.

"It's not getting any better," said Foggy.

"I went for scan on it this week and it's become a case of trying to get through the next few races before I can do something about it.

"But it's a bit of a worry because it hurts the most when I sit down."

The problem seems to stem from a disc in the lower part of his back.

It flared up in the last round at Albacete where Fogarty suffered some discomfort on his way to two third-placed finishes.

Regular sessions with osteopath David Gutteridge and former Blackburn Rovers physio Mike Pettigrew have helped ease the pain. But Fogarty is going to have to dig deep if he wants to come away from Italy with his 36-point lead at the head of the championship intact.

The sweeping corners and fast straights on the Monza circuit are ideally suited to the quicker Hondas of Aaron Slight and Colin Edwards.

And Foggy is fully aware of the threat they pose.

"It's a fast circuit with a few chicanes so we are going to need a fast bike.

"I'm worried about the Hondas because they cleared off into the distance last year and there was nothing we could do about it.

"They're very fast in acceleration but we are getting closer to them in terms of top speeds.

"You can follow them around though but to be first over the line is going to be so much harder because you've got a half mile drag to the line."

It's a circuit Foggy has traditionally struggled on and the last time he won there was in 1996 - and that was on a Honda.

Edwards took both races last year while the best Fogarty could manage was a second-placed finish in race two.

But backed by a vociferous home following, who will be cheering on Ducati, he plans to pull out all the stops.

"Whenever I've raced there in the past I've always been fast through the chicanes although I don't know why.

"It's the straights where I might have problems.

"But if my bike is as fast as the Hondas then it's possible I'll be able to make a break away.

"It's going to be tough though."

The possibility of some new parts, however, might give a crucial advantage.

A report in the Motor Cycling News this week suggested Ducati have come up with a new revised motor but they have been reluctant to use it in case it re-opens the debate on possible weight penalties.

Fogarty angrily denied those rumours but does admit his bike could do with a boost to catch up the Hondas in terms of power.

"We've had these parts all year but they've been having problems getting them to work on the bike," said Foggy.

"But we're certainly not holding them back because we are trying to get our bike to go as fast as the Hondas.

"I was struggling badly to keep pace at times in the last round at Albacete and I don't really know why.

"They seemed to be pulling two or three bike-lengths on me going out of the corners.

"But I won't know whether or not these new parts are ready until I get out there."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.