Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) scored a single podium for third place in race two at the eni FIM Superbike World Championship round in Portugal today, but two strong points scores saw him extend his overall lead as his other championship rivals found trouble. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) won his first race of the 2012 season in the second outing today, which went to all 22-laps duration.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) started well, as he won the first race in front of 51,000 weekend spectators, but he had to retire with an engine failure in the second race. With Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) injured in the aborted first race, the Italian scored no points today.

The final result from Portugal, with one round and two individual races to go in France in two weeks’ time, is that Biaggi has a total of 347 points, 30.5 more than Sykes, while Melandri is 38.5 points adrift of Biaggi.

Race 1

Full wet conditions arrived on Sunday morning and they were to play a part in the race being halted because of an oil spill after a crash. A restarted race, over only 16 laps, was won by Sykes who scored his third win of the season and drew himself – temporarily – closer to championship leader Biaggi as a result. Max was fourth in the opening race after several incidents and changing fortunes as the race unfolded. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) looked like he could pass Sykes at the end but was unable to in the final two laps, and he settled for second place. PATA Racing Ducati privateer rider Sylvain Guintoli scored himself another podium finish, in third place. A collision on lap one of the first start saw Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) crash after an attempted pass on Biaggi and he was taken to hospital for scans on a bruised kidney, missing out on any further Portimao action.

Tom Sykes:

“I’ve got to start by thanking the team and Kawasaki, the boys made a big change in between the two parts and it was a different bike in the second rerun. I was so comfortable and much happier and was able to predict what the bike was doing. We got to the front and managed the tyres very well, racing with these guys was fantastic. It’s good for the championship but we’ll take it race by race.”

Race 2

After a tense battle Laverty took his first victory of the season, and his first on an Aprilia machine, as he held off the impressive late charge of Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) by only 0.162 seconds. Eugene became the ninth rider in 2012 to win a race. Laverty had been a clear leader but in the final laps Rea put in a real charge at the undulating Portuguese circuit. Over three seconds behind the race winner, Biaggi was third and now carries a more than useful lead into the final round in France. His new main championship rival Sykes no scored.

Eugene Laverty:

“I rode hard at the beginning to get a gap but Jonathan pushed me hard towards the end. The grip wasn’t there, which was evident in the lap time, but I just kept going towards the end. I managed to hang on. The win has been so long coming, the last time was Monza and of course this is the first for Aprilia, I’m ecstatic about it!”

World Superbike – Portimao Race One Result

1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 16 Laps/73.472 km in 31’42.011 average 139.063 kph; 2. Checa (Ducati) 0.300; 3. Guintoli (Ducati) 2.732; 4. Biaggi (Aprilia) 11.564; 5. McCormick (Ducati) 11.771; 6. Rea (Honda) 11.792; 7. Baz (Kawasaki) 28.693; 8. Aoyama (Honda) 29.581; 9. Badovini (BMW) 31.507; 10. Fabrizio (BMW) 31.587; 11. Camier (Suzuki) 31.710; 12. Hopkins (Suzuki) 33.167; 13. Laverty (Aprilia) 37.843; 14. Lundh (Kawasaki) 37.993; 15. Baiocco(Ducati) 39.397; 16. Zanetti (Ducati) 39.666; 17. Brignola (BMW) 42.434; 18. Lanzi (Ducati) 1’00.356; 19. Haslam (BMW) 1 Lap; RT. Salom (Kawasaki).

Fastest Lap: Checa in 1’56.477 average 141.927 kph.

Pole Position: Sykes in 1’41.415 average 163.005 kph.


World Superbike – Portimao Race Two Result

1. Laverty (Aprilia) 22 Laps/101.024 km in 38’35.105 average 157.093 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 0.162; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 3.766; 4. Guintoli (Ducati) 10.440; 5. Checa (Ducati) 20.153; 6. Badovini (BMW) 23.152; 7. Baz (Kawasaki) 27.314; 8. Fabrizio (BMW) 35.682; 9. McCormick (Ducati) 35.766; 10. Lanzi(Ducati) 38.311; 11. Hopkins (Suzuki) 47.814; 12. Zanetti (Ducati) 57.359; 13. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’11.035; 14. Lundh (Kawasaki) 1’28.197; 15. Brignola(BMW) 1’42.589; NC. Giugliano (Ducati); RT. Camier (Suzuki); RT. Aoyama (Honda); RT. Baiocco (Ducati); RT. Davies (Aprilia); RT. Sykes (Kawasaki);RT. Haslam (BMW).

Fastest Lap: Laverty in 1’44.578 average 158.075 kph.

Pole Position: Sykes in 1’41.415 average 163.005 kph.

Riders Championship:

1. Biaggi 347; 2. Sykes 316,5; 3. Melandri 308,5; 4. Checa 278,5; 5. Rea 255,5; 6. Laverty 241,5; 7. Haslam 189; 8. Guintoli172,5; 9. Davies 156,5; 10. Fabrizio 133,5; 11. Giugliano 125; 12. Baz 116; 13. Badovini 116; 14. Camier 109,5; 15. Smrz 92,5; 16. Berger 74; 17. Zanetti 65; 18. Aoyama 59,5; 19. Hopkins 44; 20. Canepa 42,5; 21. Salom 22; 22. McCormick 19; 23. Lascorz 17; 24. Mercado 9; 25. Lanzi 8; 26. Baiocco 8; 27. Lundh 8; 28. Hickman 7; 29. Staring 6; 30. Polita 4; 31. Brignola 4; 32. Aitchison 3; 33. Brookes 1.

Manufacturers Championship:

1. Aprilia 422,5;
2. BMW 394;
3. Ducati 375;
4. Kawasaki 356,5;
5. Honda 270,5;
6. Suzuki 130,5.

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