Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri have shared the spoils at the World Superbike Championship round at Motorland in Aragon in Spain.
Race 1
In the opening race Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) secured a tight 0.278 second victory from Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport). It was Biaggi’s fourth win of 2012, and his third in a row.
The top two were well clear of the battle for third, which eventually went to Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) from Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia). Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was deprived of what looked like a sure podium place when Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) lost the front and his machine hit Sykes’ rear wheel, and both riders fell.
Race 1 Highlights
Race 2
In the second race Melandri took his third win of the season after a spectacularly tight fight with three other riders. Second went the way of Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing), just 0.042 seconds behind at the finish. Immediately behind Davies held off Biaggi to take his first ever podium in the series.
The top four riders were only 0.484 seconds apart after a thrilling 20-lap race. Behind the leading quartet Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) went fifth after recovering from another bad start, with Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Checa and Sykes.
In the championship points, Biaggi has 248.5, Melandri has 200.5, Rea has 183, Checa has 175.5 and Sykes is fifth with 172.5.
Race 2 highlights
Superstock
Australia’s Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) took his first win in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. He took a dominant eight second wins and set a new lap record in the process. Runner-up was MRS Kawasaki rider Jeremy Guarnoni, who passed long-time second-placed rider Lorenzo Baroni (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) in the closing stages. Fourth was Barni Racing Team Ducati Panigale rider Eddi La Marra.
Superstock race highlights
Bryan Staring talks after his victory
