Superbikes - Assen WSBK: Laverty pips Sykes to win race two

Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty battled to the bitter end with Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes to claim first place on the podium in the second World Superbike race at Assen this afternoon.

Sykes was leading until the final three laps, when the Irish rider decided to make his move. The Huddersfield lad did put up on strong fight, but he ran on to the curb in the final chicane giving Laverty the opportunity to take the lead, and eventually his second World Superbike win of the year.

Sykes was not the only Kawasaki on the podium, as young French rider Loris Baz claimed the final step of the podium, but had to contend with challenges from Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea, and earlier during the 22 lap race a charge from Aprilia’s Sylvain Guintoli.

The Frenchman appeared to have tyre issues as he fell off the pace, letting GoldBet BMW’s Chaz Davies to take fifth place, with less than four hundredths of a second separating the two bikes as they crossed the finishing line.

Fixi Crescent Suzuki’s Leon Camier ended the final World Superbike race of the day in a respectable seventh, after riding a faultless race with a huge hole in his leg.

The Brit managed to keep GoldBet BMW’s Marco Melandri at bay, and his Suzuki team-mate Jules Cluzel. The Frenchman eventually retired due to a technical problem with his GSXR1000, with only seven laps remaining out on the Dutch circuit.

Cluzel was not the only racer to retire, Althea Aprilia’s Davide Giugliano was up in third position, but crashed and saw his bike go up in flames, which abruptly ended his race weekend.

Ducati Alstare’s Carlos Checa was off the pace again, and ended the race in tenth. The former champion was overtaken by Melandri and Red Devils Aprilia’s Michel Fabrizio who finished just inside the top ten in ninth.

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Assen World Superbike race two results:

1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 35'36.814

2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35'36.903

3. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35'42.662

4. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 35'42.704

5. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 35'44.173

6. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 35'44.218

7. Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 35'57.909

8. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'04.081

9. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'07.047

10. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 36'09.215

11. Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 36'16.738

12. Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 36'20.718

13. Ivan Clementi (HTM Racing) BMW S1000 RR 36'36.983

14. Federico Sandi (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'38.667

15. Mark Aitchison (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 36'39.478

RT. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 24'31.112

RT. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 8'07.727

RT. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Grillini Dentalmatic SBK) BMW S1000 RR 3'39.175