luck struck in the race. "It was
a very difficult race because I
didn't have a good feeling with
the bike as I had an issue with
my front tire. That was very frus-
trating as I topped almost every
session this weekend and yet in
the race I finished in fifth, which
was good for the championship,
but I wanted to win."
Anthony West (Kawasaki Puc-
cetti Racing) was in WorldSSP
again and finishing on the po-
dium, as he has done at Phillip
Island in the recent past.
This time he had a factory bike
to play with in Sofuoglu's team,
but it was not Sofuoglu's bike.
It was the machine vacated by
the outgoing Kyle Ryde, but still
enough for West to pass five rid-
ers and get into third place with
eight laps to go.
Caricasulo and Cluzel would
finish 1.5 seconds ahead of
West, and fight all the way, with
Cluzel having to win today to
stand any chance of keeping
his own slender championship
hopes alive.
The final three corners saw
the leaders leaning on each
other, but Caricasulo did enough
to win by 0.065 seconds, his
second victory of the year.
Cluzel in second place in
Spain, moved to third in the
championship after Sheridan
Morais (Kallio Racing Yamaha)
was sixth at the flag.
PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta
Reparto Corse) fought off West
for a time but the Aussie rider
had his pace and when he got
free he moved up on the lead-
ing duo until the flag came out.
Jacobsen was fourth, with eyes
on a Superbike ride in 2018.
"I was doing the best I could
in third with the tire. Cluzel and
Caricasulo were not getting
away, they were staying the
same," said Jacobsen. "West
came by and I did not want him
to upset my rhythm in case the
two leaders came back with the
tires. Mine was starting to go off
and I was expecting their two
tires to go off as well, but they
didn't."
Gordon Ritchie
IN
THE
WIND
P46
Federico
Caricasulo had
to work hard
for the win in
WorldSSP.
