Corser looks forward to Valencia with itchy bum.

Team Foggy Petronas rider Troy Corser is looking forward to the first round of the World Superbike Championship despite the fact that he won't be riding.

Ahead of the first race he shared his thoughts on the forthcoming season and this weekend's first race: "Well the first race of the year is approaching and I've got an itchy bum. No, not a medical condition - it's just that my bum is itching to get on a racebike again. It's a little frustrating not being on a racebike when all the rest of the guys are at it, but that's the way it is for the moment."

"But, I'm excited about the project and I can't wait to swing my leg over the bike for the first time and see how it goes. I'm no stranger to developing a bike, so I know what goes on behind the scenes and how to be patient. Even though I will not be racing at Valencia,I will be there, because we will be having a team presentation. That's when we get to show off our new team clothing etc."

"Valencia is a technical track and one where you need to have a really good bike set-up and a good tyre. Last year, I had both and I managed to make two pretty good starts and win both races. If you can get clear track in front of you at Valencia, you've a good chance of winning. To put in a fast lap, you have to get the whole track perfect. A slip or two means you lose quite a bit of time. You've got to be on the front row of the grid - or the second - otherwise you're dead. If you can get into the lead early on and pull out a gap, the rest hold each other up and you can run a smooth race."

"It's such a hard track to pass on - that's why a good start is vital. The key to Valencia is a good start and then consistent, smooth, fast laps."

"I don't think that Valencia is only a Dunlop track. Maybe it was a bit more last year, but I've been watching what the boys have been doing in the tests and it seems that Michelin are on it as well. It's not so much Dunlop or Michelin, but who has a good set-up and a tyre that'll work good. I'm not sure who will win at Valencia, but everybody has a chance - because I'm not there! No, really I think any one of about five or six riders can win."

Corser doesn't expect any big changes at the front of the grid: "The usual suspects really - Bayliss, Bostrom, Edwards, Xaus, Haga, maybe Hodgson also. The lap times were pretty close in the tests, so it'll be down to who has a good set-up, a good tyre, and starts well. I think that maybe any of the first five can win the title, but it's going to be a very competitive year for sure. I think there's going to be more crashes this year, because everybody is going to be pushing hard. Especially in the first race, where there's nothing to lose. Everybody's going to be on it - and hard! I'm sorry that I won't be in it, but it's going to be fun watching!"