WSBK – WSBK France (2): Melandri wins, for real –

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WSBK France (2): Melandri wins, for real

WSBK - WSBK France (2): Melandri wins, for real -

Author of the double in Jerez, Marco Melandri did not want to let slip a new victory at Magny-Cours this afternoon. The Aprilia rider n ° 33 takes a victory – twice – deserved in front of his team-mate Guintoli. Sykes finished fourth behind Haslam…   As in the first round, the race is declared …

Author of the double in Jerez, Marco Melandri did not want to let slip a new victory at Magny-Cours this afternoon. The Aprilia rider n ° 33 takes a victory – twice – deserved in front of his team-mate Guintoli. Sykes finished fourth behind Haslam…  

As in the first round, the race is declared "Wet". The rain doubles in intensity as the drivers complete their warm-up lap … The 19 laps of this second round promise to be perilous !

Second Superbike race

Tom Sykes started correctly from pole position but was overtaken by Jonathan Rea and Davide Giugliano on the first curve. Marco Melandri is fourth ahead of Sylvain Guintoli, Chaz Davies, Loris Baz, Alex Lowes, Leon Haslam, Eugene Laverty …. and Sylvain Barrier! Jeremy Guarnoni is 17th, Fabien Foret 19, and Nicolas Nalchaud 26.

Giugliano takes the lead in the first loop but the attention of the public – and MNC! – goes on Guintoli who passes Sykes in Water tower! The Frenchie follows his teammate Melandri who is a big second from Rea and Giugliano. These two guys don’t pretend, as the heat of "JR" proves in the second round !

Alex Lowes is the victim of a fall, raises his Suzuki with the torn bubble but cannot start again. In front, Rea always tries to find an opening on Giugliano, or Davide simplifies the task for him by losing again the front of his Panigale and hands the reins of the race to Johnny.

Rea starts the 4th lap with a small second ahead of the two official Aprilia. Sykes is not in the rhythm and is already almost four seconds behind the leader. His pursuers are however far: Haslam is three seconds behind, Baz six and Fores eleven. Laverty, Davies and Lanzi complete the Top 10.

The Evo category is again dominated by Sylvain Barrier. In the 5th lap, the n ° 52 is about twenty seconds behind the leader Rea, and two seconds ahead of Canepa. Guarnoni is only a few lengths behind the Italian and his Ducati Evo.

Barrier was unfortunately the victim of a highside in the same fifth loop … Syl’20 set off again in 16th position, not far ahead of Fabien Foret. Canepa and its Panigale inherit first place in the Evo ranking, ahead of Kawasaki from Guarnoni and Staring.

In the lead of the race for three laps now, Jonathan Rea is being chased by the two Aprilia: Melandri and Guintoli raise their voice! Sylvain also goes on the attack in Nurburgring: the French must imperatively win this second round to get as much as possible on Sykes in the championship..

The "Number One" precisely, rolls in fourth position while the halfway mark has not yet been crossed. Haslam on his Honda n ° 91 goes two seconds behind the reigning world champion but will have to surpass himself to hoist his Fireblade in front of Sykes’ Ninja.

The 10th lap is completed and Eugene Laverty occupies a distant (25 seconds behind Rea!) And isolated sixth place. The German Ducati of Lanzi and Fores put in a superb second round, giving our national Bazooka a hard time !

Eight laps from the end, Guintoli gets closer to Johnny … who goes highside at the exit of Nurburgring! Sylvain takes the reins of the race but would certainly have preferred to overtake Rea on a regular basis in order to put an additional driver between him and Sykes. The latter is precisely threatened by Haslam…

In the next round, "Guinters" widens in Adelaide and Marco logically takes the opportunity to take command. Behind, Tom struggles to put all the power of his engine on the ground, even in a straight line! On his Honda n ° 91, Leon never leaves the rear wheel of the Kawa n ° 1…

The 14th lap is launched and Melandri remains in the lead just ahead of Guintoli. The two factory pilots (Noale’s) are 11 seconds ahead of Sykes and Haslam, 31 over Lanzi, 34 over Laverty, 43 over Baz and 47 over Neukirchner.

In the next round, Sykes manages to take a second from Haslam. Melandri is a second and a half ahead of Guintoli but Marco is again asked to leave the victory to his teammate Sylvain … The Italian does not slow down immediately: the n ° 33 wants to prove that he was still unbeatable today ‘ hui !

Behind, Haslam still can’t get past Sykes. Leon sets off a braking attack from Adelaide but is passed over under acceleration. The Honda gets its revenge in the 180 by staying outside the Kawasaki. Impressive !

Melandri started the last lap on the hats of the wheel as he was almost two seconds ahead of Guintoli! The n ° 33 did not slow down during his final loop and won the second French round in front of his teammate who congratulated him during the lap of honor.

Leon Haslam climbs to his first podium this season while Tom Sykes saves the furniture by clinching fourth place, scoring the corresponding 11 points. "Helmet" down to Ducatis from IDM: Lorenzo Lanzi and Max Neukirchner finally beat our "Super Bazio".

Lastly, the site would like to congratulate Fabien Foret: the 2002 Supersport world champion finished his last World Superbike race in second place in the Evo category and in 11th place in the scratch classification.

In the championship, Tom Sykes saw his lead cut by half: the English Ninja totaled 378 points, 12 more than his great enemy No.50, Sylvain Guintoli. Marco Melandri climbs to third place, accumulating 312 points, against 301 for the unfortunate – in the second round – Jonathan Rea.

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