Bikesales Staff•24 Sept 2012

NEWS

WSBK: Biaggi in the box seat

The veteran again featured prominently at the penultimate round in Portugal, as his main challengers failed to maintain the pressure

Aprilia’s Max Biaggi has all but wrapped up his second World Superbike title in three years after yet another wild round at the Portimao circuit in Portugal overnight.

Biaggi’s main challenger and fellow Italian Marco Melandri (BMW) crashed out on the opening lap of race one and was then accidentally hit from behind by Chaz Davies (Aprilia).

Melandri suffered a bruised kidney in the incident and took no further part in the day’s proceedings, striking a seemingly irreversible blow to his title ambitions.

Meanwhile, Biaggi finished with 4-3 results and now leads the championship by 30.5pts over Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes. The Yorkshireman was again impressive at Portimao, starting form pole position and winning race one before suffering a mechanical problem in race two.

In reality, Skyes is now the only rider capable of denying Biaggi in the final round at Magny-Cours in France from October 7, with Melandri remaining a mathematical long shot.

“We had some good luck today and also some bad luck,” said Sykes.

“Everybody has seen today what happens in racing. Melandri has been on the pace this weekend and through a change of luck he went out of two races. So anything and everything can happen.

“I accept it even though it is hard to take having got to within 14.5pts of the lead after race one. I felt I could have reduced that gap again. But it was not to be, so what can you do? We got to France next, pick up where we left off and try to have a strong weekend.”

On a wet track in race one, Melandri crashed after an attempted passing move on Biaggi. Five laps later the whole thing was red-flagged after an oil spill, with a restart run over 16 laps.

Sykes led for most of the journey to win his third race of the year, with reigning world champion Carlos Checa (Ducati) a close second ahead of Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati), Biaggi and wet-weather bolter Brett McCormick (Ducati) from Canada.

By the time race two came around the track was dry, with Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) becoming the ninth race winner in 2012 after an all-the-way triumph. But he still had to put up the shutters to hold off a fast-finishing Jonathan Rea (Honda), while Biaggi was a lonely third ahead of Guintoli and Checa. Earlier, Laverty finished a lowly 13th in race one.

There were a number of race two retirements, including Davies after his second spill for the day, Leon Camier (Suzuki) and Leon Haslam – who will now join Rea at Honda in 2013 after being replaced in BMW’s factory team by Davies.

WORLD SUPERSPORT

Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) won his third world championship by finishing behind the only man who could have caught him before Portimao, Jules Cluzel (Honda). Australia’s Broc Parkes (Honda) was fourth, behind Fabien Foret (Kawasaki).

“We knew that we did not have to come to Portugal to win the race to win the title,” said Sofuoglu.

“Sometimes in the race I was thinking that I was already going to be world champion, so I was asking myself why I had to take more risk, so I was careful, especially on the last lap not to attack Cluzel in the lead. To win the title in the first year with Kawasaki makes me very happy.”

The career statistics for Sofuoglu are outstanding: three titles (2007, 2010 and 2012), 48 podiums from 68 races, and a record total of 21 individual race wins.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP

Australia’s Bryan Staring (Kawasaki) pushed himself ahead of long-time race leader Sylvain Barrier (BMW) to score the win in Portugal, his third of the season, with Jeremy Guarnoni (Kawasaki) third.

Three riders can now win the title in France: Barrier, Eddie La Marra (Ducati) or Staring, although the Aussie is 22pts off the lead.

PORTIMAO WORLD SUPERBIKE RESULTS

Race one: 16 laps

1 Tom Sykes, Great Britain, Kawasaki

2 Carlos Checa, Spain, Ducati +0.306

3 Sylvain Guintoli, France, Ducati +2.732

4 Max Biaggi, Italy, Aprilia +11.564

5 Brett McCormick, Canada, Ducati +11.771

6 Jonathan Rea, Great Britain, Honda +11.792

7 Loris Baz, France, Kawasaki +28.693

8 Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan, Honda +29.581

9 Ayrton Badovini, Italy, BMW +31.507

10 Michel Fabrizio, Italy, BMW +31.587

Fastest lap: Biaggi – 1:56.477

Race one: 22 laps

1 Eugene Laverty, Great Britain, Aprilia

2 Rea

3 Biaggi

4 Guintoli

5 Checa

6 Badovini

7 Baz

8 Fabrizio

9 McCormick

10 Lorenzo Lanzi, Italy, Ducati

Fastest lap: Laverty – 1:44.578

CURRENT WORLD SUPERBIKE STANDINGS (AFTER 13 OF 14 ROUNDS):

1 Biaggi 347

2 Sykes 316.5

3 Marco Melandri, Italy, BMW 308.5

4 Checa 278.5

5 Rea 255.5

6 Laverty 241.5

7 Leon Haslam, Great Britain, BMW 189

8 Guintoli 172.5

9 Chaz Davies, Great Britain, Aprilia 156.5

10 Fabrizio 133.5

Final round: Magny Cours, France, October 5-7

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WSBK: Biaggi in the box seat

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