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

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

WSBK - 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 Donington Park. But the n ° 66 fought like a champion (2013!) And won his first victory of the season… First Superbike race Tom Sykes starts off impeccably from his 26th pole position and takes the lead in Redgate…

Starting from pole, Tom Sykes was heckled by Haslam and then Rea during much of the first round at Donington Park. But the n ° 66 fought like a champion (2013!) And won his first victory of the season…

First Superbike race

Tom Sykes started off impeccably from his 26th pole position and took the lead in Redgate ahead of Leon Haslam, Jonathan Rea, Davide Giugliano, Alex Lowes, Chaz Davies, Sylvain Guintoli, Ayrton Badovini, Matteo Baiocco, Jordi Torres, etc..

Haslam took the lead as he dived under the No. 66 Kawasaki in Old Hairpin, a quick right to the bottom of a bowl. Sykes lost a new place under the brakes of the Fogarty Esses against Rea. Attacked by Davide in the Melbourne hairpin, Tom resists this time !

Rea takes the lead on the first braking of the 2nd lap! Davies steals his teammate Giugliano his fourth place. Lowes is still sixth ahead of Badovini and Guintoli. Camier and Baiocco close the Top 10. De Puniet is 17th, Ponsson 19th.

Johnny the leader of the race – and very wide leader in the championship! – slightly misses the last braking of the 2nd lap, in Goddards, but he manages to catch up with the rope and prevents Leon the "Pocket Rocket" from rocking in first place.

The four British drivers occupy the same places on the track as in the championship: Rea drives ahead of Haslam, Sykes and Davies. At the start of the 4th lap, however, Sykes took advantage of a gap from Haslam at the entrance to the first curve of the Redgate course to get into the wheel of his teammate Rea.

"JR" takes advantage of the 4th loop to move away slightly from his three pursuers. Giugliano loses his duel against Lowes in the Fogarty Esses: the Top 5 is now entirely British! Guintoli rolls alone in seventh position. Badovini, Camier, Baiocco, Torres and Van Den Mark fight for eighth place.

Sykes takes advantage of Rea’s new gap to seize the reins of the race but Johnny recovers them under Melbourne braking. As VDM falls into the Foggy Esses and gardens in the gravel, Davies overtakes Haslam by plunging into the great right Redgate, but is passed over with acceleration.

Just ahead of the two Italians (Aprilia n ° 91 and Ducati n ° 7), the Kawasaki n ° 65 and 66 continue to compete for the lead of the race! Tom beats Jonathan on the 7th lap and Leon Haslam gets closer. Leon Camier him, disappears from the outposts and reappears in 16th place. Giugliano returns to the pits: Guintoli therefore climbs to sixth position !

Both passed through the pits, Van den Mark and Giugliano rejoin the track at the same time as the leading drivers start their 10th lap. The young n ° 60 Honda rider receives a black flag and must abandon this first race … Giugliano can continue to ride: he is 21st one lap behind the leaders and more than a minute from 15th position. ‘occupies De Puniet.

At the end of the 11th round, the Ninjas again draw the attention of the (TV) spectators to them: Rea tries a block-pass on Sykes in Melbourne but cannot keep the first place … The halfway mark is crossed and the two Kawasaki are almost two seconds ahead of Aprilia n ° 91, nearly three on Ducati n ° 7, and more than six on Suzuki n ° 22.

About ten seconds behind the two leaders, Guintoli and Badovini are fighting for sixth place, two seconds ahead of Jordi Torres and Matteo Baiocco. David Salom, Roman Ramos and Leon Camier also fight a good battle for 10th place.

At the end of the 14th lap, Rea passed Sykes in Melbourne but the n ° 66 tried to get back into the next Goddards hairpin: the two ZX-10Rs tumbled down the pit straight, fairing against fairing, literally! At the entrance to Redgate, "JR" signals to "Major Tom" to pass (!) And slips into his aspi.

At more than 4 seconds now, Haslam and Davies are fighting again for the third step of the podium. Alex Lowes is posted about 5 seconds away and unfortunately will not be able to join in the fight. Four seconds later, Badovini takes the lead over Guintoli.

With six laps to go, Tom Sykes is building a one-second lead over his teammate Jonathan Rea. Chaz Davies does the same with Leon Haslam, while Ayrton Badovini goes back on Alex Lowes and Jordi Torres in turn threatens Sylvain Guintoli…

Badovini takes advantage of his BMW’s excellent engine to overtake Lowes on the return straight that leads to the famous Foggy Esses. The 19th lap is about to end and Torres is more and more pressing on Guintoli. The "Spanish Elvis" doubles our "Number One" in the next loop.

In front, "Major Tom" has engaged the turbo of his Ninja – so to speak of course: unlike the H2, the ZX-10R does not have a compressor! – and flies to victory. Johnny secures his third second place of the season, far ahead of his compatriots "Chazie" and "Pocket Rocket".

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