Marco Melandri has cut into the World Superbike Championship lead of Max Biaggi after winning both races at Brno in the Czech Republic.

Race 1

Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) posted an impressive win in the first race after he had worked his way through from the mid-pack. After the race started with numerous wet patches on the circuit, it finished in blazing sunshine. Long time leader Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) finished second and his team-mate Loris Baz third, the first podium place for the teenage French rider.

Any chance Sykes had of getting back at Melandri for the win was dashed when he and Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) collided entering a corner near the end of the race and Rea crashed out spectacularly.

Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) was fourth and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) fifth, with Biaggi a distant sixth on his Aprilia Racing machine.

Race 2

Melandri scored the double after he made a final pass on long time leader Sykes on the final lap. He had just enough of a gap on Sykes on the final few corners to make sure the English rider would finish second, by only 0.140 seconds.

Checa took third place with Biaggi a lonely fourth. Laverty won a duel for fifth place with Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport).

In the championship fight Biaggi now has 271.5 points, Melandri has 250.5 and Sykes moved into third place, on 212.5 points. Checa is fourth on 204.5.

Marco Melandri speaks about his great day at Brno