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/739653
IN THE WIND P34 DAVIES THROWS SNAKE EYES AGAIN A t the October 15-16 WorldS- BK round in Jerez, Spain, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati Racing) made a great play to finish second overall in the final World Superbike standings in 2016 after his latest double win— the most recent of four doubles, plus a single from Lausitzring. In doing so he stopped the Kawasaki riders from scoring maximum points. Their finishes ensured that the championship fight itself will go to the final round, under the floodlights at Losail in two week's time. Davies was untouchable again, beating Tom Sykes (KRT) in race one by 3.290 seconds and Jonathan Rea (KRT) by 5.893 seconds in two dry races in the autumnal Spanish sun- shine. Davies was consistently lap- ping faster than his chasers on Sunday. "The bike was work- ing," said Davies, with his usual smiling understatement. "I have confidence and it was working good. I feel like I am not doing anything different. The bike is just in the sweet spot and that al- lows me to ride 100 percent ev- ery corner, every lap, and know where the bike is. I am out there nearly folding the front like every other guy, but I am dancing on it and have that familiar feeling I have had before." Sykes won Superpole, and by some distance in beating Rea by 0.412 seconds, but on race- days one and two, Davies was in both dominant mode and mettle as he continued his post-sum- mer-break points bonanza. He can no longer win the championship; that ambition has just gone now, and Kawasaki even won the Manufacturers' Championship on Saturday at Jerez. But both Davies and Ducati are on championship- level form that their rivals cannot match on track at present. Rea ended his weekend swapping second and third places with Sykes. He got the upper hand on Sunday, after having nothing for Sykes on Sat- urday—on a softer front tire than he is used to running, and hav- ing no rear traction compared to normal. He made sure he stayed ahead of Sykes in race two, and noticed the late charge of Hayden, who may have made all the difference. "I was keep- ing an eye on Tom's pit board as well as mine during the race," Rea said. "I knew that Nicky was closing a little bit but it was very hard to play a game and slow the pace. That wasn't the target, to be honest. I was just monitoring how close Nicky was getting." Sykes was in attack mode in race one and eventually defense mode in race two. He had a realistic chance of making great inroads into Rea's champion- ship chances before Jerez, but in finishing race two third, and nearly fourth, he is 48 points behind the championship leader with one round and 50 points up for grabs—should he win both races in Qatar. Davies is only 19 points from Sykes now and he may fancy his possibilities to be second. Him Chaz Davies ensured that the 2016 WorldSBK Championship will go down to the last round by sweeping Jerez. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE