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/1498809
The race one restart, over 17 laps, was Bautista's—all Bau- tista's—as everyone else in the top few places was racing for a podium at best. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Ducati) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi raced too hard, and Rinaldi was to fall and no score, with Bassani fading to seventh from a potential podium placing. Rinaldi was fuming as he said it was deliberate contact from Bassani, who got a long- lap penalty. Rinaldi hurt his right hand but escaped any fractures. Filling the vast 8.8-second gap to second place (in real - ity it should have been over 11 seconds, had Bautista not slowed up over the line) was the late charge of Razgatlioglu. He speared his way past Rea on the last lap, and Rea could not get back past him in the final few corners. Fourth was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha) and fifth was Aegerter, who really has settled into WorldSBK like an expert, not a virtual novice. In the dry weather, full-slicks, Superpole race, another "bor - ing" win for Bautista saw all the street-fighting action going on in his wake. Rinaldi was having a scrap with anyone who wanted to take second place away from him, until Razgatlioglu went through to head up the battling loose bunch of podium aspirants in the midpoint of the race. With just a few laps to go, just 11 minutes since the start, the first drops of rain came and were heavier in some places than others. Rea took a great initial ad - vantage, moving confidently into second place but a last lap attempted pass from Razgatlio- glu, into turn one, saw Rea go too wide on the left, clip a white line while full-on the brakes and crash, sliding for a great distance into the new and more generous run-off in that section. With Rea self-eliminated, de- spite complaining that Razgatlio- glu had disturbed his braking maneuver, Razgatlioglu had enough to take second place at the flag, 2.110 seconds from Bautista. Right behind the Turkish Superstar, Locatelli would pass Lowes for third, and another podium. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) also pushed past Lowes for an eventual fourth, with Lowes fifth and Aegerter, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), Rinaldi and finally Vierge (Team HRC) crossing the line in a close group. 4.88 seconds covered the winner Bautista and the ninth- placed Vierge, but Bautista kept up the pace as the clear path - finder as the track conditions subtly evolved. "I did my best and it is my best result of the year, therefore we have to take the positives with us," Gerloff said. "I am so happy about the Superpole race. The bike felt great. I was in the group, and I was really happy about my best result so far this year. Seventh is not where I want to be, I want to be better, but we have to take the positives and we are going in a good direc- tion." The second full-distance WorldSBK race on Sunday saw Rea start from the 10th grid position, because of his fall, making his push for a second podium an unrealizable dream. Bautista, once again, got away and stayed away to win by 8.583 seconds, slowing up as usual to celebrate over the line. Rinaldi had ridden a deter- mined and effective race to sec- ond place, or so he thought, but as his tires and pace dropped off in the final two laps, Razgatlioglu VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P39 Jonathan Rea (65) pushed like hell all weekend but couldn't close the gap to his Ducati rivals.