Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1465975
Rea 2, Bautista 1 At Aragon WorldSBK W orldSBK got off to a great start at Motorland Aragon earlier this month, but it ended with a (thankfully injury-free) bang in Assen when two-time race winner Jonathan Rea (KRT) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yama- ha with Brixx) collided on lap six of race two, and neither scored a point. It was a final drama on a week- end of many such things. The Superpole qualifying ses- sion saw a couple of surprise results, as Alex Lowes went sec- ond, ahead of his KRT teammate Jonathan Rea. Alvaro Bautista, so potent in earlier qualifying, was only fifth. Toprak Razgatlioglu going fast- est was not a great surprise but him going 0.478 seconds faster than the next best was a major surprise. His new track best is a 1:32.934. The early lead in the opening race was held by Razgatlioglu, but Rea took it on lap three, with Locatelli inside the top three. Lowes was a strong fourth, then third, but his race was to prove short-lived as a stone kicked up from the rear wheel of Locatelli's Yamaha damaged his oil cooler and he was forced to pull out of the race at half distance. Bautista was fifth, then fourth, but his rapid rise to third in the middle of the race saw him end up behind Rea, not Razgatlio- glu, as the Turkish rider took the lead—all despite losing front-tire life like he had in Aragon. He would be passed by both Rea and Bautista on lap 15, ending up in a third place he would have to settle for once again, as in each Motorland race. Bautista made a break for the lead, but Rea knew he could not let him go, so he re-passed and kept the Ducati rider behind. It looked like Rea would get a clear run on the final lap, but Bautista made up serious ground on the last combination of fast corners. IN THE WIND P34 Jonathan Rea (65) gave Kawasaki its 100th WorldSBK victory after winning race one and Superpole. PHOTOS: GOLD & GOOSE