Ben Spies is World Superbike Champion !

Yesterday in Portimao was the final of the SBK World Cup: Haga and Spies had to engage in a merciless duel, but the Japanese stumbled in the first round and the American was able to ensure in second! In Supersport, Cal Crutchlow takes the title. Report.

Supersport Race

Eugene Laverty (on pole on the grid) and Kenan Sofuoglu (4th in qualifying) started very well and crossed the first corner in front of Cal Crutchlow. But Joan Lascorz went on the attack from the first round and took his 3rd place from Cal and immediately placed himself under the pot of CBR No.54. Laverty, he gets the trunk !

Garry McCoy on the handlebars of his Triumph occupies 5th place, just ahead of the young Italian Michel Pirro. The rest of the peloton is already at several lengths: at the head of this hunting group are Andrew Pitt and Katsuaki Fujiwara.

At the front, Eugene leads the race with a bang and does not spare his Honda. The Irish driver is doubly motivated: he races to the home of his Parkalgar team and his 18 points behind in the championship forces him to win at all costs !

Lascorz, also motivated, made a mistake at the start of the 4th lap and offered his 2nd place to Sofuoglu. At the same time, Crutchlow climbed on the podium. The Englishman, who is not directly threatened on the track as in the championship, will he be satisfied with a quiet race in 3rd position? ?

On the 5th lap, Laverty continues his fantastic ride: Eugene really feels at home! In his quest for the title, his part of the contract is therefore fulfilled: all that remains is to hope for a Crutchlow error or a breakage of the Yamaha n ° 35….

But the next round, McCoy is up to Crutchlow! From the next straight line, the Australian took the suction of the Englishman and passed him in the first braking of the seventh lap. Cal’s technical staff keep their fingers crossed: obviously, Eugene is unbeatable today, Cal and his R6 have no room for error…

At the halfway point, Laverty was four seconds ahead of Sofuoglu and almost eight over McCoy. But in points, for the moment, Crutchlow remains at the head of the championship: with the 13 points of the 4th place, the pilot Yam ‘would total 243 points, against 236 for the – very – plausible winner Laverty…

Once is not customary in Mondial Supersport, the laps go by without the action overflowing … Only Mark Aitchison spices up the second half of the race by quickly climbing up on Michel Pirro installed in 5th place.

Fabien Foret is in 8th place: the second official Yamaha rider is fighting hard against Barry Veneman and Chaz Davies. We also welcome the presence on the track of Olivier Four, 22nd and in the wheels of Guerra and Gentille.

With four laps to go, Aitchison easily took 5th place from Pirro. In front, the order does not change: the Irish Laverty leads far ahead of the Turkish Sofuoglu then the Australian McCoy, followed like his shadow by the English Crutchlow. Will Cal celebrate his coronation on the podium ?

At the start of the last lap, Garry and his 675 get out of reach of Cal and his R6. Eugene meanwhile, parade alone in command of his CBR but sees little by little his hopes of title disappear. Regardless, the n ° 50 does not have to be ashamed of his first season in the World SSP and today offers his team a victory at home, as well as the constructor title to Honda. !

After crossing the finish line, Crutchlow lets his joy explode: burns, rear wheels, engine on switch, everything goes … Cal is celebrating his first world title with dignity, a title that Honda riders have been trusting for seven years and which had eluded Yamaha for eight !

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