Chaz Davies is primed to launch his World Superbikes fightback in this weekend’s round in Imola.

The Knighton-born rider slipped 45 points off pacesetter and defending champ Jonathan Rea at the last round in Holland two weeks ago.

Davies finished a fine second in the opening race at Assen but a tyre-stop strategy error saw him finish fifth in the second as the Ulsterman romped to a double.

The 29-year-old, still second in the standings, said: “We didn’t leave Assen with as many points as we could have collected also due to the variable weather conditions.

“But the good thing is that we confirmed the potential of the Panigale R and gained valuable experience.

“We’re ready to have another go at it in Imola, a peculiar track that I enjoy.

“I was twice second in 2014, while last year things didn’t go to plan due to a couple of technical issues, but we were quite competitive until that point.

“The bike has improved significantly since then, so I hope to have a strong performance in front of all the Ducati fans to reward their passion and get closer to the front in the championship.”