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/972780
VOL. 55 ISSUE 16 APRIL 24, 2018 P53 be classed as his best. Or his bike's favorite, more likely. But it did not stop the top six in race one having three Panigales inside it, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) fifth and Marco Me- landri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) sixth. The second race, under the reverse grid rules, saw Sykes win by running out front and away by over five seconds. Rea was satisfied at taking away 45 points from a possible 50, and a 30-point series lead that is completely deserved. Especially as he sees the reverse grid and his heavily limited top revs being a double whammy in each second race now. "It does not help. Passes are now more difficult to make," said Rea. "You cannot give a guy like Tom pole position. There was one strategy to win the race today and he implemented it perfectly. Ku- dos to him and his team as they did a great job but I can take my 45 points and march on to Imola quite happily." For Sykes, his race-two win was the result of some over- night soul-searching and finally making his consistent pre-race pace payout big over 21-laps. "What a feeling," he said. "I for- got how special winning races was. I changed nothing on the bike. I have had a little bit of a personal battle recently and most of the secret was releas- ing this back into the race. We have had race-winning performance in practice in all the rounds this year but today we got given the great opportunity of clear track. I proved to myself and probably a number of people that the speed is not a doubt." And he really beat Rea, which is still an achievement for anyone, maybe especially someone on the same bike, in this period of WorldSBK racing. If the aim of the various balanc- ing rules, rev limits, reverse grids and concession points are to stop Rea running away with each race, then they are working well. He was beaten again and not by a rider with different characteristics or gearing either, but by a rider who has not beaten him to win since Misano last year. If the rules are designed to make sure that Rea does not run away with the championship itself then the job is half done, as Rea leaves Assen 30 points ahead, when last year he was 64 points ahead at the same stage. Rea and his crew seem to be the ones who can make the most every single time, but at least more riders are having their day in the sun in 2018. The second race podium of Sykes, Rea and van der Mark was a pleasing double Dutch top-step for the local fans to get excited about. . Davies was fourth in race two and had to hang on to everything he had to make sure of it, getting a strange and aggressive vibration from nowhere and he had to go slow on the final laps to get points for fifth. Only one Honda rider at this round, with Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) and Jake Gagne missing with injuries from a crash Friday, but PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) scored points twice. Gagne did try. "I felt a little bit better after my big get-off yes- terday, although I was still very sore, but I thought I'd give things Jonathan Rea ran off with the opening race win.