WSBK – WSBK Netherlands (2): Rea supplants, Guintoli crashes –

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WSBK Netherlands (2): Rea supplants, Guintoli crashes

WSBK - WSBK Netherlands (2): Rea supplants, Guintoli crashes -

The nerves of the World Superbike riders were put to the test this afternoon in the Netherlands! Heavy rains severely delayed and shortened the second round, finally won by Jonathan Rea and his Honda Fireblade… A few minutes before the start, the rain is – again and again! – announced but …

The nerves of the World Superbike riders were put to the test this afternoon in the Netherlands! Heavy rains severely delayed and shortened the second round, finally won by Jonathan Rea and his Honda Fireblade…

A few minutes before the start, the rain is – again and again! – announced but the management declares this second race "dry". However, at the end of a warm-up lap marked by the appearance of a few drops of water on the visors, some pilots choose to return to the pits to change their tires. !

The officials then decide to delay the start of the race, requalify it to "Wet" and shorten it to 15 laps instead of 21. The teams have about ten minutes to change the settings of the motorcycles and fit the rain tires. , while the pilots anxiously scan the sky and try to stay focused…

Second Superbike Assen race

The rain doubled in intensity and the drivers set off on a wet track: Loris Baz got off to a good start but was again beaten by Tom Sykes and Sylvain Guintoli. The latter takes control at the end of the first sequence and flees far ahead of Rea, Sykes, Baz, Haslam, Elias, Davies, Giugliano, Melandri, Laverty, Camier, Canepa, Bos, Lowes, Iddon, etc.

As in the first round, David Giugliano stands out: the hot Italian hoists his official Ducati in front of his teammate Chaz Davies, Leon Haslam and his Honda, Marco Melandri and his Aprilia … Loris Baz is much more feverish on the handlebars of his Ninja and slips at the back of this peloton, while Guintoli flies over the track with his factory RSV4 !

At the end of the 2nd loop, "Guinters" is already two seconds ahead of "Johnny" Rea and four seconds over "Major Tom" Sykes. Elias follows a second behind the world champion, and is chased by Haslam and Giugliano. Melandri, Davies, Laverty and the wild card Bos are more than ten seconds behind Guinto ‘. Baz is relegated to thirteenth position, almost 15 seconds behind the leader.

The rain quadruple in intensity (!) And the visibility becomes terribly poor. Sylvain, who then spins a good second faster than Rea, two seconds faster than Sykes and three seconds faster than the rest of the field, decides to give up his hand and raise it high on the fifth passage in front of the pits..

The red flags are immediately waved by the marshals: the race is once again interrupted! The drivers return to the pits to dry off and then wait for management to make a decision. Before deciding, the winner of the first round and leader of the second is embarked in the "pace car" and leaves to inspect the track…

The Giulietta makes a lap of the Assen circuit and when Guintoli gets off, the Frenchie’s face is impassive. Two new inspections (at 2:30 p.m. then 2:45 p.m.!) Were carried out and, the rain gradually subsiding, the decision was made to launch a sprint of 10 laps…

Second start: Loris Baz starts from pole position for the third time (!) This weekend but is once again overtaken by Tom Sykes, Sylvain Guintoli and Jonathan Rea. Melandri, Elias, Giugliano, Davies, Haslam and Lowes complete the Top 10.

Rea quickly seizes the lead of the race while Guintoli overtakes Sykes, soon imitated by his teammate Melandri! The rest of the peloton are led by Giugliano, Elias, Lowes (who gain a place just before the end of the 1st lap) Davies, Baz, Haslam, Canepa, Laverty, Camier, Corti and Andreozzi.

Rea and Guintoli drop their little comrades even more in the 2nd loop and have nearly four seconds in advance. But Guintoli is ejected by his Aprilia in the middle of the final chicane! After a little backward roll in the grass, the Frenchie gets up and straightens his Aprilia. He starts again in 18th position…

In the third lap, Elias also lost the rear of his machine but was forced to retire. Alex Lowes inherits fourth place, then climbs onto the podium, overtaking Melandri. Sykes is right in front of Suzuki # 22. Rea, on the other hand, is much further: five seconds ahead of the Kawasaki n ° 1 !

The English champion overtakes the world champion in braking the chicane. Alex and his Suz ’embark on the 5th lap in pursuit of Johnny and his CBR, leaving Tom and his ZX-10R to fight – actually get beaten! – with the two Italians: Marco on RSV4 and Davide on Panigale.

Six seconds behind the chase group, "Bazooka" occupies an honorable sixth place ahead of Haslam and Davies. a little further, Corti, Laverty, Camier, Canepa and Bos are fighting for 9th place … Sylvain Guintoli should soon join them. !

At the forefront, "JR" manages his business perfectly and keeps Alex Lowes more than four seconds behind. Giugliano reached the podium by overtaking Melandri in the 6th lap. The Roman is now targeting Lowes, installed on the second step of the podium.

Meanwhile, Guintoli continues his almost fantastic ride: two laps from the end, n ° 50 finds himself twelfth … Eleventh following the fall of Laverty who wanted to get away from Davies and Canepa, then tenth in the 9th tower.

Marco Melandri almost fell on this penultimate lap and lost two places going off the track. Sykes and Haslam therefore complete the Top 5 … Baz him, is too far to take advantage of the blunder of n ° 33 and remains seventh, 20 seconds behind the leader.

Jonathan Rea wins a superb victory and pockets the corresponding 25 points. Alex Lowes scores his first World Superbike podium with a devastating wheelie on his GSX-R while Davide Giugliano places his Panigale on the third step of the podium.

Sykes accentuates his lead in the championship: the "Number One" of the discipline totals 108 points, 12 more than Guintoli and 15 more than Baz, still second and third in the provisional standings. Rea jumped to fourth place (89 pts) ahead of Melandri (69) and Giugliano (59). Niccolo Canepa takes first place in the Evo class from Salom thanks to his two Top 10 in the Netherlands.

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