WSB: Wet weather masterclass from Rea as Sykes crashes out

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Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) made up for his first race no-score with a perfect wet race win on Sunday at Lausitzring, giving him a 47 point advantage to take into the final three rounds of the year.

A sudden falloff rain shortly before the start of the scheduled 21-lap WorldSBK race two led to a delay due to rider concerns over standing water and lack of visibility. A full 45-minutes after the planned start a 16-lap wet race took place.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of the lead early in the race but got going again, way down the field, to finish 12th.

Rea ran away at the front, so fast that Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would fall chasing him, and land hard on his right shoulder.

Other notable fallers would be potential podium man Lorenzo Savadori (IodaRacing Team Aprilia), Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team),

Anthony West (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) and the luckless Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) was another late faller, restarting to finish eighth.

Up front ex MotoGP runner Alex De Angelis (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) made a remarkable second place finish for himself, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) third, anoher great result for the former IDM rider.

Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) came close to a podium finish in fourth.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) rode to sixth place, after being passed on the penultimate lap by Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, who took a fifth place finish on his return to race action.

Josh Brookes (Milwaukee BMW) secured a seventh place finish in wet conditions, with VDM eighth, Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) ninth and Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) tenth.

Gordon Ritchie

By Gordon Ritchie