Teruel WorldSBK: Rea, Rinaldi Star
At Aragon
T
here were three different win-
ners of the three points-scor-
ing races at the Teruel WorldSBK
round, the second such held at
Motorland Aragon, September,
4-6, but the only rider who truly
came out on top was Jonathan
Rea on his KRT Kawasaki.
Flat out beaten by that now-
winning independent rider
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GoEleven
Ducati) on Saturday in race one,
Rea took a similar bashing from
his championship rival Scott
Redding (Aruba.it Ducati) in what
used to be Rea's specialty of the
10-lap Tissot-Superpole race on
Sunday morning.
Rea, as he does at times,
just gathered up his experience
and pace to win the second full
race on Sunday afternoon. But
he went from 10 points ahead of
Redding entering the most recent
round at Motorland to a massive
36 points ahead now.
Rea went like blazes in the
final race, full commitment and
at least one very near crash, but
that is what it took to see off the
best Ducatis at what was once a
Desmo specialist track.
Even when he gets beaten, as
he was twice this weekend, he
comes out on top.
The first race, on Saturday,
was defining in so many ways.
First off, privateer of the mo-
ment Michael Ruben Rinaldi rode
from his first front-row start of
second place to the lead within a
lap, then simply punched his way
forward on his 2019 ex-works
Panigale and away from even the
determination and experience of
Rea.
"Friday was good, this morning
was good, so I said I would try to
'go' in the race," Rinaldi said. "I
tried to think about nothing else.
I just had fun during the race that
is why we are here and I cannot
believe it."
On a regular race rear tire, but
IN
THE
WIND
P36
Michael Ruben
Rinaldi (21) rode
brilliantly all weekend
but couldn't hold
off defending world
champ Jonathan Rea
in race two.
