WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
WORLD SUPERBIKE
BY GORDON RITCHIE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
T
here was no end of talk-
ing points at Assen for the
World Superbike riders
and teams, but the main memo-
ries as ever will be of change-
able weather in Northern Europe
in April and the fact that Aprilia's
Sylvain Guintoli won the first race
after a display of full risk, and
Pata Honda's Jonathan Rea won
the second, in fully wet condi-
tions.
We had a new Superpole win-
ner on Saturday in Kawasaki's
Loris Baz but we had the same
old issues of the weather taking
a turn for the worse at key mo-
ments of race day.
The first race featured some
damp patches for race winner
Guintoli to completely ignore,
as he piled on the pressure right
away, leading by over a second
after one lap and drawing away at
a pace only Sykes looked likely to
match or exceed.
After the World Champion ran
ROUND 3/APRIL 27, 2014
CIRCUIT VAN DRENTHE/ASSEN, HOLLAND
P74
CIRCUIT VAN
DRENCHED
WEATHER DOMINATED
THE PROCEEDINGS IN HOLLAND
