WSSP Qatar: Van den Mark in stealth mode

2014 champion Michael van den Mark easily won the last race of the season ahead of the surprising Ratthapark Wilairot. But they went unnoticed, as the fight between Cluzel, Mahias and Coghlan was breathless … Supersport race Jules Cluzel starts in front of Michael Van den Mark, Lorenzo Zanetti, Ratthapark Wilairot, Jack Kennedy, Lucas Mahias, …

2014 champion Michael van den Mark easily won the last race of the season ahead of the surprising Ratthapark Wilairot. But they went unnoticed, as the fight between Cluzel, Mahias and Coghlan was breathless…

Supersport Race

Jules Cluzel starts in front of Michael Van den Mark, Lorenzo Zanetti, Ratthapark Wilairot, Jack Kennedy, Lucas Mahias, Florian Marino, etc. VDM hoisted its n ° 60 Honda to the front of the race from the start of the first loop. Cluzel is overtaken by another Honda, the n ° 17 of Wilairot, a few sequences later.

Poor Jules can do nothing against the top speed of a third Honda: Zanetti’s No.26 which climbs on the podium at the end of the straight line. Cluzel finds himself just in front of the French Supersport champion Mahias. His teammate Coghlan is more than two seconds behind at the end of the first lap, Marino (7th) almost three.

Mahias climbs back onto the MV Agusta on the second pass – hard! – in the straight line and tries to apply the brakes to Cluzel. Jules places his F3 inside but Lucas does not dismantle and stays on the outside of the MV Agusta, coming out of the first curve in the lead !

The 4th lap sees Zanetti and Mahias fight for third place. The CBR and the R6 are mated by the F3 and allow Coghlan’s No. 88 Yamaha to go up as well. "Magic Michael" still leads but is followed like its shadows – because of the countless Qatari spotlights! – by Wilairot.

Kennedy’s Honda completed half of the 4th lap, letting a disturbing white smoke escape from its fairing. The Irish n ° 4 sits at the end of the straight line and lets his little comrades continue their last race of the season: Sofuoglu, Marino and Rolfo are then two seconds behind the Top 5.

Cluzel fights as best he can at the controls of his MV Agusta – he almost hits Zanetti on braking – and does not see a very good eye Mahias moving away towards the leading duo … Jules therefore passes Lorenzo at the end from the straight line at the start of the 7th lap.

Three seconds ahead of this furious peloton, Michael van den Mark managed his race perfectly and maintained his lead of three quarters of a second over the impressive Ratthapark Wilairot. At the start of the 9th lap, Cluzel applied the brakes to his – our! – compatriot Mahias and climbs on the podium.

About seven seconds behind the Dutch leader, Kenan Sofuoglu’s 7th place was threatened by Roberto Rolfo. Florian Marino occupies a distant ninth place … The Kawasaki obviously do not like the Losail circuit, or driving at night ?!

Attacked by Mahias on the 11th passage in front of the pits, Cluzel plants an incredible braking to keep his third place! The MV Agusta expresses its dissatisfaction by waving severely at the entry of a curve but "Julo" does not care and the plate towards the rope.

A lap later, Coghlan takes the suction of his teammate Mahias and comes up to him when it comes to grabbing the right lever. "Kev" must however admit defeat and remain in fifth position … But the battle between Mahias and Cluzel intensifies and benefits Coghlan who climbs to third position in the 13th lap.

While the three men provide a fabulous spectacle, Michael VDM gradually moves away from Wilairot. In the background, Rolfo passes Zanetti. Eleventh on the track, Marino sees second place overall slipping away … but Cluzel risks a lot on the penultimate lap to get a last podium this season !

The 2014 Supersport World Champion "Magic Michael" wins for the sixth time this season. Will he perform as well next year on Superbike? The astonishing Ratthapark Wilairot climbs on his first Supersport podium and will be closely watched next year in the same category….

Jules Cluzel finally completes the podium thanks to a last brilliant lap: 2 ‘01.999 is the best time of the race! The MV Agusta driver finished for the second consecutive year in second place in the Supersport World Championship. Next year will be his, he already promises…

Luca Mahias takes a superb fourth place, ahead of the titular Yamaha DMC Panavto rider, Kevin Coghlan! The 2014 French champion has proven that he has his place in World Supersport. Site hopes that an – excellent – team will give it a chance in 2015 !

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