Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) has taken a double win at the Spanish World Superbike Championship in Jerez.
Race one saw Melandri come home ahead of team-mate Sylvain Guintoli with Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) taking the final podium position in 3rd.
Melandri (below) completed his double in race two with team-mate Guintoli in second and reigning World Champion Tom Sykes in third position.
Race one
In of the closest races of the season so far Marco Melandri has taken the win in race one at Jerez after a 20 lap encounter that saw the leading group of eight riders exchanging places at almost every turn in the early stages.
From the start it was the Aprilia duo of Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli who lead the pack with the Frenchman passing his Italian team mate at turn 3.
Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the lead at the end of the 4th lap and the two compatriots began to ease away. Not content with 2nd, Guintoli responded and retook the lead on lap 8 with the chasing pack, now led by Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) closing in.
Giugliano who had been passed for 3rd by Melandri crashed out at the start of the eleventh lap while reigning champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) also ran off the track at the end of the long back straight as he attempted to improve from 7th.
After running as high as 3rd on the opening two laps Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) crashed unhurt from 9th, he was followed a lap later by Loris Baz who went down after making contact with the back of Marco Melandri’s Aprilia.
At the flag it was all smiles in the Aprilia camp with Melandri coming home ahead of Guintoli with Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) taking the final podium position in 3rd.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) was 4th with Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty 5th and 6th respectively.
Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) was just beaten to top spot in the EVO battle coming home in 10th overall just behind David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) who was 9th. Salom now extends his points advantage in the EVO category to 42 points.
Race one results
1. Marco Melandri ITA Aprilia Racing RSV4 20 laps
2. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +1.397s
3. Chaz Davies GBR Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R +4.283s
4. Jonathan Rea GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +5.705s
5. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +6.979s
6. Eugene Laverty IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.342s
7. Leon Haslam GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +14.868s
8. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 +23.853s
9. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +25.886s (E)
10. Sylvain Barrier FRA BMW Italia S1000RR +26.536s (E)
11. Jeremy Guarnoni FRA MRS Kawasaki ZX-10R +41.308s (E)
12. Alessandro Andreozzi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +46.672s (E)
13. Sheridan Morais RSA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R +48.742s (E)
14. Niccolo Canepa ITA Althea Ducati 1199 Panigale R +50.131s (E)
15. Claudio Corti ITA MV Agusta RC F4RR +1m 03.677
16. Gabor Rizmayer HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR +1m 14.881s (E)
17. Geoff May USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX +1m 22.832s
18. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR +1m 35.170s
Not Classified
19. Aaron Yates USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX 15 laps completed
20. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 13 laps completed
21. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 13 laps completed
22. Davide Giugliano ITA Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R 11 laps completed
23. Bryan Staring AUS IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R 8 laps completed (E)
Did not start
Luca Scassa ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R (E)
Race two
The drama in race 2 at Jerez began almost immediately as best EVO classified rider in race one David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out on lap one with Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) retiring with a technical problem on lap 2.
At the front Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) led from Tom Sykes, the Kawasaki Racing rider and reigning World Champion making a much better start but as in race one it was Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) who slowly worked his way to the front, eventually passing Guintoli in the final third of the race to take the a double win ahead of his team mate and Tom Sykes who were 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Completing the top six were Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), and Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) while the best EVO classified rider was Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) who finished 11th overall and comfortably ahead of 12th placed Sheridan Morais (Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki) who scored on of his best results of the year.
There was jubilation for Team Toth BMW who achieved their third point scoring finish of the season courtesy of a 14th place finish by replacement rider Gabor Rizmayer.
Results race two
1. Marco Melandri ITA Aprilia Racing RSV4 20 laps
2. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 +2.845s
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +6.097s
4. Chaz Davies GBR Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R +7.749s
5. Jonathan Rea GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +7.935s
6. Eugene Laverty IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +10.510s
7. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +16.078
8. Leon Haslam GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR +16.098s
9. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 +16.554
10. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 +25.840s
11. Sylvain Barrier FRA BMW Italia S1000RR +36.839s (E)
12. Sheridan Morais RSA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R +55.531s (E)
13. Jeremy Guarnoni FRA MRS Kawasaki ZX-10R +55.980s (E)
14. Gabor Rizmayer HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR +1m 18.354s (E)
15. Niccolo Canepa ITA Althea Ducati 1199 Panigale R +1m 26.338 (E)
16. Aaron Yates USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX +1m 31.468
Not Classified
17. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR +1m 35.170s
18. Alessandro Andreozzi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 12 laps completed (E)
19. Geoff May USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX 11 laps completed
20. Claudio Corti ITA MV Agusta RC F4RR 8 laps completed
21. Davide Giugliano ITA Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R 3 laps completed
22. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1 lap completed (E)
Did not start
Bryan Staring AUS IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R (E)
Luca Scassa ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R (E)
Championship Standings
1 Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team 352
2 Sylvain Guintoli Aprilia Racing 321
3 Jonathan Rea PATA Honda 285
4 Marco Melandri Aprilia Racing 267
5 Loris Baz Kawasaki Racing Team 262
6 Chaz Davies Ducati SBK 188
7 Eugene Laverty Voltcom Crescent Suzuki 154
8 Davide Giugliano Ducati SBK 153
9 Toni Elias Red Devils Roma Aprilia 151
10 Leon Haslam PATA Honda 150
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