Source: Supplied.

Defending Superbike world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took a clear victory in race one at the Acerbis Dutch Round on Saturday.

A long battle with Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended in a frustrating DNF for the Welshman, who pulled up at the end of the penultimate lap with a technical problem.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crossed the line in second place, ahead of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who completed the rostrum places.

Rea had started in fourth place on the grid, having initially been on pole but being moved back three places to the head of row two due to a penalty, following a clash with Davies at the end of SP2.

Davies then went on to lead for most of the race before Rea took over in the final stages and then the Ducati rider pulled off track due to a technical issue just before the start of the final lap.

Davies’ misfortune saw Sykes take a lonely second, the Yorkshireman crossing the finish line 4.5s behind Rea and 13 seconds in front of third placed Melandri. It was a good performance by Sykes considering his recent issues with a stomach illness.

Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) produced another solid result in fourth place on his Ducati Panigale R, his highest finish so far in 2017. An excellent ride by Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) to fifth on his return to action also gave him his best result of the season to date.

There were also season-best results for Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) and Roman Ramos (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) in sixth and seventh respectively. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), Leandro Mercado (IODARacing) and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completed the top 10.

There was frustration for Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who ran long on the first corner and then crashed out of his home race at turn five early on. That was before his teammate Alex Lowes went down at turn 10 mid-race to make it a difficult day for Yamaha.

Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) and Riccardo Russo (Guandalini Racing) were both unable to finish due to technical problems.

World Supersport title-holder Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) notched his first pole of 2017 on Saturday at the Acerbis Dutch Round with a 1m37.805 best lap, to put him ahead of PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI) on the first row.

Leading Australian was Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) in 25th position, directly ahead of Anthony West (EAB West Racing Yamaha) in 26th.

The Superstock 1000 pole went to Florian Marino (Pata Yamaha), while Mike Jones (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) slotted into sixth. Glenn Scott (Agro On-Benjan Kawasaki) will start out of P30.

In a stunning closing minutes of World Supersport 300 Superpole, Borja Sanchez (Halcourier Racing Yamaha) secured pole position ahead of home hero Scott Deroue (MTM HS Kawasaki) and Paolo Grassia (3570 Made in CIV Kawasaki).