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/1510691
pass after pass from the two top runners. The ending was epic, but it's worth noting that third- placed Aegerter was only 0.321 seconds behind the win, with career-best rider Gardner 1.370 away and fifth-placed Petrucci 2.6 seconds down. But at the very front, the final sense of Razgatlioglu being robbed was even greater than it had been in Portimao, when Bau - tista had just out-sprinted him from the final corner to the flag. This time, Razgatlioglu crossed the line just ahead, with both leaders having slides and wobbles as they powered out of the final corner. Massive celebrations ensured until the dreaded news came through that Razgatlioglu had exceeded track limits, and he clearly had on that final corner exit. It was, again, a cruel way for Toprak to get robbed of another win. But the records will show that Bautista performed his sixth full house weekend of the sea - son, part of his new record total of 27 race wins in a single year. Bautista secured 628 points over the campaign, Razgatlioglu 552, Rea 370 and Locatelli 327. WorldSSP New champion Nicolo Bulega took the pole despite running off onto the gravel on one hot lap. In race one, he stuck in another fabulous opening-day win. He had blown the rest away with only two laps gone and ended up almost five seconds clear of Ste - fano Manzi (Ten Kate Yamaha). Bulega claimed another lap record, setting a 1:41.875 in race one. Manzi, the best Yamaha rider of the year, was just 0.039 seconds ahead of third-place Federico Caricasulo (Althea Ducati). In race two, a punctured airfence after Marcel Shroet - ter's (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) bike landed on top of it after a big fall, caused a hang-up in the program. After a long delay, the now seven-lap race got back underway. This gave Bulega the chance to take race win number 16 of a 23-race season and show his domination again, no matter how long the races were. Second was, once again, Manzi, and behind him was the long-time injured Can Oncu (Ka - wasaki Puccetti Racing). With a left arm that still has no power and hangs limply at his side off the bike, the Turkish riders' third place was miraculous. The 2023 championship points, after 12 rounds and 24 individual races, finished with Bulega at 503, Manzi 408, Schrotter 294, Caricasulo 258 and Debise with 181. The Top Triumph rider was Niki Tuuli in eighth, and top Honda runner, Tarran Mackenzie, was 18th. Gordon Ritchie WSBK RACE 1 1. Alvaro Bautista (Duc) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yam) 3. Andrea Locatelli (Yam) 4. Jonathan Rea (Kaw) 5. Danilo Petrucci (Duc) WSBK SUPERPOLE RACE 1. Alvaro Bautista (Duc) 2. Dominique Aegerter (Yam) 3. Jonathan Rea (Kaw) 4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yam) 5. Andrea Locatelli (Yam) WSBK RACE 2 1. Alvaro Bautista (Duc) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yam) 3. Dominique Aegerter (Yam) 4. Remmy Gardner (Yam) 5. Danilo Petrucci (Duc) WIND IN THE P34 WorldSSP Champion Nicolo Bulega finished out the season with a double.

