WSBK Great Britain (1): Sykes and Baz at the top !

The first race at Donington Park took place in the dry and resulted in a masterful duel between the two official Kawasaki. Tom Sykes had to fight hard to win against Loris Baz. The English champion Lowes accompanies them on the podium… First Superbike race Davide Giugliano’s Ducati rears up when taking off from…

The first race at Donington Park took place in the dry and resulted in a masterful duel between the two official Kawasaki. Tom Sykes had to fight hard to win against Loris Baz. The English champion Lowes accompanies them on the podium…

First Superbike race

Davide Giugliano’s Ducati rears up by taking off from its pole position and loses several places from the first few meters …. Sylvain Guintoli dives into the first curve, Red Gate, ahead of Marco Melandri, Alex Lowes, Leon Haslam, Jonathan Rea, Loris Baz, Davide Giugliano, Chaz Davies, Eugene Laverty, Toni Elias, Tom Sykes, etc..

Baz and Guintoli team up in the first round! Lowes takes the lead in front of Baz, before the Fogarty Esses. Follow Guintoli, Melandri, Haslam, Giugliano, Rea, Laverty, Davies, Elias, Sykes … Guarnoni and Foret are 16th and 17th, Lanusse 20th.

Bazooka continues to attack in the second lap, places himself outside Lowes in Copice and puts the brakes on him in the Esses. The Suzuki passes the Kawasaki again in the last section, and the n ° 50 Aprlia takes the opportunity to also pass, while Melandri observes. Sykes is the fastest in the 2nd lap, but stays in Davies’ wheel…

Guintoli takes control of the race in the 3rd loop. Baz climbs into second position: the two Frenchies dominate the champion Lowes … Melandri and Giugliano fight like ragpickers in front of Haslam, Laverty, Rea, Davies and Sykes, last of the leading pack.

Baz overtook Guintoli on the 5th lap and immediately tried to pull away. Iddon falls from his Bimota in Coppice and must give up … Just like Laverty who falls by biting his Suzuki on the inner vibrator of the Esses, and is miraculously not hit by his pursuers !

On the track, the leading group is divided into two: Baz, Lowes, Guintoli, Melandri and Giugliano are turning in the 1 ’29, Rea, Davies Haslam are in a tiny 1 ’30. Sykes is a hint faster but still fails to overtake rivals…

It was not until the start of the 8th lap to see the "Number One" braking Haslam and Davies when braking from Red Gate! Tom then easily got rid of Jonathan Rea in the Esses and launched – finally – to attack the Top 5 !

Our national Loris is still in the lead ahead of Alex Lowes … doubled in the 10th lap by an impressive Davide Giugliano. The Italian was scared when he left the Esses but his Panigale barely stayed on his wheels … Lowes had to give up the gas for a short time and stayed behind the n ° 34.

A few lengths from Suzuki n ° 22 are the two official Aprilia n ° 33 and n ° 50, unable to keep up with the pace of the leading machines … and just as unable to limit the rise of Kawasaki n ° 1: Sykes "is on a mission" !

Giugliano is up to Baz in the straight line at the start of the 12th lap but the Frenchman keeps the advantage under braking. Behind, Sykes has already joined Guintoli and easily overtakes him in the Esses, the Froggie going straight to the garden….

Ten laps from the end, Tom Sykes just as easily doubles Melandri: the world champion, author of the double last year at Donington Park, is three seconds behind his teammate who impeccably manages his two opponents Giugliano and Lowes.

Ayrton Badovini is the first Evo driver (10th) but his BB3 is not homologated, will once again not be classified. More than 30 seconds behind their compatriots, Guarnoni and Foret complete the Top 15! Romain Lanusse is still in the race, in 18th position.

Giugliano loses the front in the entry of the Esses on the 16th lap! Sykes is propelled to the third step of the podium but aims for the first, which is a second ahead. English Ninja makes short work of the # 22 Gex in the short return straight !

More efficient on heavy braking, Sykes got back on his – very – young teammate in two short laps. The Englishman passed the Frenchman on the last corner of the 20th lap but widened slightly in Red Gate and was passed in Old Hairpin !

Baz must again give up the reins of the race in the last corner but the "Savoyard Cheetah" clenched his teeth and stayed in the wheel of the British. The n ° 76 returns in Old Harirpin but this time, the "Number One" responds tit for tat! Loris delays his braking in the penultimate hairpin but inevitably widens.

The last lap is underway: Sykes has a small second in advance and can finally complete a lap without being bothered by his teammate … The World Champion wins his third race of the season and is clearly aiming for his second double.

Loris Baz finished in a superb second place and collected 20 – big – points in the championship against his direct rivals: Sylvain Guintoli, Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies … The rookie Alex Lowes gets his second podium in WSBK, the first in the dry !

If the seventh place of Guintoli can seem disappointing – and due to a bad choice of tire? -, Fabien Foret and Jeremy Guarnoni’s 12th and 13th places on their ZX-10R Evo are more satisfactory. As for Romain Lanusse, he can be proud of his 16th place won on the occasion of his very first race in WSBK !

Related articles

• WSBK – Jerez: Laverty double winner, Sykes 2013 WSBK champion! –

  Jerez: Laverty double winner, Sykes 2013 WSBK champion ! The contract was fulfilled for Tom Sykes from the first Spanish round: third this afternoon in…

• WSBK – WSBK Donington: Tom Sykes, of course! –

  WSBK Donington: Tom Sykes, of course ! Started Friday in polar conditions, the European WSBK event in Donington comes to an end under a blazing sun….

• WSBK – WSBK Assen: Sykes and Laverty go back to Guintoli –

  WSBK Assen: Sykes and Laverty go back to Guintoli Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty won this Sunday at Assen in World Superbike. They thus grab some points…

• WSBK – WSBK Great Britain (2): Sykes bends Baz and Guintoli –

  WSBK Great Britain (2): Sykes bends Baz and Guintoli Sylvain Guintoli and Loris Baz both led this second Superbike round at Donington Park, but they…

• WSBK – WSBK Great Britain (1): Sykes wins at Kawasaki Park –

  WSBK Great Britain (1): Sykes wins at Kawasaki Park Starting from pole, Tom Sykes was heckled by Haslam and then Rea during much of the first round at…

• WSBK – WSBK Spain (2): Sykes and Baz win again –

  WSBK Spain (2): Sykes and Baz win again Author of the double yesterday in the Superpole and this morning in the first round, Tom Sykes and Loris Baz held…

• WSBK – WSBK Spain (1): doubled by Ninjas Sykes and Baz –

  WSBK Spain (1): doubled by Ninjas Sykes and Baz After their double in the Superpole, the two official Kawasaki riders Tom Sykes and Loris Baz continued…

• WSBK – WSBK Thailand (2): Sykes cracked Rea –

  WSBK Thailand (2): Sykes makes Rea crack Beaten with nothing by Jonathan Rea in the first round (yesterday at the Buriram circuit), Tom Sykes got his…

• WSBK – WSBK United States (2): Sykes’ fantastic ride –

  WSBK United States (2): Sykes’ fantastic ride The second round of the 2016 World Superbike at Laguna Seca was incredibly lively! Sykes took advantage of…

• WSBK – WSBK Portugal (1): Sykes wins ahead of Guintoli and Baz –

  WSBK Portugal (1): Sykes wins ahead of Guintoli and Baz Heckled at the start of the race, Tom Sykes tamed his little comrades this afternoon on the…