WSBK Australia (1): first victory for Laverty and Suzuki !

The very first round of the 2014 World Superbike has just ended on the Phillip Island circuit (Australia). Author of a superb comeback, Eugene Laverty and his GSX-R win ahead of the official Aprilia Guintoli and Melandri riders. Baz finished in a satisfactory fifth place.

The very first round of the 2014 World Superbike has just ended on the Phillip Island circuit (Australia). Author of a superb comeback, Eugene Laverty and his GSX-R won ahead of the official Aprilia Guintoli and Melandri riders. Baz finished in a satisfactory fifth place.

First Superbike race

Sylvain Guintoli, who starts from pole for the third time in his career, gets off to a good start and dives into the first corner ahead of Marco Melandri, Davide Giugliano, Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies, Eugene Laverty, Loris Baz, Toni Elias, Leon Haslam, Alex Lowes, etc.

The Frenchie clearly leads from the first series. Davies passes Sykes at the exit of Lukey Heights: the two official Ducatis are in the Top 5. The 2013 world champion is then passed by his teammate Baz and then by the rookie Lowes. Elias is 10th ahead of Haslam and Canepa, first Evo driver ahead of Foret and Salom.

Davies, Melandri, Giugliano and Laverty are the fastest on the track in the 2nd lap, but Guintoli remains firmly in the lead. Lowes suffered a big crash in the second corner and took a little time to get up … No.22 Suzuki, already injured in the foot during practice, limped into the pits.

On the track, Guintoli, Melandri and Giugliano let go of the peloton made up of Rea, Laverty, Baz, Davies and Sykes. Four drivers in the Evo category then fight for 9th place: Canepa, Allerton (replacing Barrier), Salom and Foret. Toni Elias then Leon Haslam fall in their turn !

At the end of the 8th lap, Guintoli, Melandri and Giugliano parade in front. Laverty struggles on his Suzuki and tries to pick up the top three. Baz unfortunately cannot keep up with the Irishman and has to defend his fifth position against Rea and Sykes.

In the Evo category, David Salom, Niccolo Canepa and Glenn Allerton are gradually moving away from our third representative, Fabien Foret on his Kawasaki Mahi! Jeremy Guarnoni is 14th, 10 seconds behind Corti and 37 behind Sylvain Guintoli, still in the lead !

Meanwhile, the Suzuki n ° 58 continues its infernal rise to the podium. Giugliano, no doubt warned of the dangerous return of Laverty, overtakes Melandri in the hairpin. Eugene surprises Marco before the end of the same 13th lap !

In the background, Sykes overtakes Rea and Baz, reaching "his" fifth place, the one he occupied at the end of the two rounds in 2013. But all eyes are on Laverty, who reaches second place at the start of the race. 15th round! # 58 lets the two Italians explain themselves and threatens our favorite # 50.

Tom Sykes widens in the hairpin and lets his two opponents Johnny Rea and "Bazooka" pass. Fabien Foret still occupies 12th place, Guarnoni 14th: all the French are in the points five laps from the checkered flag !

In front, Guintoli stayed ahead of Laverty until the start of the 17th lap when Laverty made a first attack, crowned with success. Melandri returns to Giugliano’s official Panigale and quickly lodges in his teammate’s wheel, unable to keep pace with the GSX-R 1000 !

Half a second faster than the two Aprilias, Laverty takes off to victory in his first race on the Suzuki! Melandri remains in Guintoli’s aspiration while Giugliano lets go, two seconds behind RSV4.

Behind, Baz, Sykes and Rea ensure a great final! The three men are fighting for fifth place. Davies is in eighth place, ten seconds behind the happy line. Ten seconds later, Salom, Canepa and Allerton fight for ninth place

In front, Melandri made the inside to Guinters in the Honda hairpin and stole second place from him. Laverty has a lead of more than two seconds with two laps remaining! New Suzuki Crescent rider completes two impeccable rounds and wins ahead of Melandri and Guintoli.

Six seconds behind the Suz ‘, Giugliano offers a reassuring fourth place to Ducati. Baz took fifth place five seconds later, dominating the two Britons Rea and Sykes. Foret and Guarnoni keep their 12th and 14th places up to the flag !

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