Tom Sykes took two valuable race wins at the French circuit to firm up his World Superbike title chances.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes completed a perfect clean sweep of the World Superbike weekend at Magny-Cours to edge ever closer to a maiden title in the premier class.

Sykes, who started from pole position for the eighth time this season, registered a lights to flag victory in the opener, though rather than the chequered, it was a red flag that signalled an early end to proceedings.

Aussie Mark Aitchison crashed his Team Pedercini Kawasaki on lap 19, cutting short race one early.

The battle up front had been between Sykes and Aprilia Racing Team’s Sylvain Guintoli, but the Kawasaki rider proved too quick for the Aprilia and had moved some way clear before the race conclusion.

The second factory Aprilia entry of Eugene Laverty completed the podium, with Davide Giugliano running fourth on the Althea Racing Aprilia, ahead of Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) and debutant Michele Pirro (Team Ducati Alstare), fifth and sixth respectively.

Sykes’ sweep of the French event was completed under a second red flag after drizzle began to fall towards the second of race two.

He had built a steady lead and was en route to the win regardless before a series of crashes – significantly involving both factory Aprilia’s – saw officials call the race early.

Laverty and Guintoli had been running second and third when they both crashed at turn five, but able to make it back to the pits, were handed back the placings when the results reverted to the previous lap.

It keeps Aprilia’s marginal title hopes alive but the perfect points haul now has Sykes 37 points clear of his competition with one round to run.

“It is great to score a double win here and we made two small changes in the bike to race two,” said Sykes. “We are always chasing perfection. That is what we spend our lives doing. When you are on the edge all the time you have got very small changes that make a big outcome.

“The bike was very nice to ride today and the races went very well. When the circuit and conditions suit a bike and rider you have to take the most advantage from it. Magny Cours was generous to me, the bike and all at Kawasaki, so this was great.

“It was spitting with rain at the end of race two and that was difficult to manage, even though I had a big gap and not much pressure.”

Giugliano scored another solid fourth placing from Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), Vincent Phillipe (Fixi Crescent Suzuki), Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), Lorenzo Lanzi Mesaroli Transports A.S. Ducati), Tonia Elias (Red Devils Aprilia) and Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare).

Aitchison bounced back from his earlier DNF to register a solid 12th.

Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu may have won the Supersport race but could do little to deny Yakhnich Motorsport’s Sam Lowes the title of world champion.

Lowes came home second to secure the championship, but not before the race was ended prematurely, also under red flag conditions.

ParkinGO MV Agusta Corse rider Christian Iddon’s crash was the cause of the stoppage, but as he was able to return to the pits, he held onto third, and a maiden podium placing in the category.

Lowes thanked the Yamaha outfit for providing him with a bike capable of delivering the title.

“From when I first rode the R6 in Jerez and joined the team I felt a great feeling and I knew we could fight for the championship,” said Lowes. “To feel it and do it are two different things so I’m very happy to be world champion.

“Today’s race was great fun, sometimes its nice to be in a battle and take your mind off the bigger picture. I enjoyed that race a lot.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to Kenan; he’s a great rider, I classify him as a friend and I respect him a lot for this season. Thank you for the fight!”

The second Mahi Racing Team ZX-6R of Fabien Foret came home in fourth, with Team Goeleven Kawasaki’s Sheridan Morais fifth ahead of Michael Van der Mark, Lorenzo Zanetti, Roberto Tamburini, Vladimir Leonov and Alex Baldolini.

Aussie Brodie Waters was one of a number of retirements for the French race, though he’ll get a second opportunity with the AARK Racing Team when the series visits Jerez for the finale.

Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) won the Superstock 1000 race on home soil, with Niccolo Canepa (Barni Racing Team Ducati) second and Lorenzo Savadori (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) third.

Sylvain Barrier was fourth but collected enough points to confirm himself as a repeat champion in the class.

The race was reduced to just nine laps after a serious crash involving Christoffer Bergman. The Swedish rider is awake and has full body movement but is yet to be diagnosed.

16-year-old Italian rider Alessandro Nocco took out the Superstock 600 race from San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki teammate Franco Morbidelli and Team Goeleven Kawasaki’s Christian Gamarino, while the European Junior Cup race, shortened to just five lap due to a crash, was won by Augusto Ferndandez.

The final round of the 2013 World Superbike Championship will be contested at Jerez in 10 days’ time.

2013 FIM World Superbike Championship
Round 13 – Magny-Cours, France

Superbike race one:
1. Tom Sykes
2. Sylvain Guintoli
3. Eugene Laverty
4. Davide Giugliano
5. Marco Melandri
6. Michele Pirro
7. Michel Fabrizio
8. Leon Haslam
9. Ayrton Badovini
10. Lorenzo Lanzi
11. David Salom
12. Federico Sandi
13. Vincent Philippe
14. Fabrizio Lai
15. Vittorio Iannuzzo
DNF. Mark Aitchison (AUS)

Superbike race two:
1. Tom Sykes
2. Eugene Laverty
3. Sylvain Guintoli
4. Davide Giugliano
5. Chaz Davies
6. Vincent Philippe
7. Marco Melandri
8. Toni Elias
9. Lorenzo Lanzi
10. Ayrton Badovini
11. David Salom
12. Mark Aitchison
13. Federico Sandi
14. Jules Cluzel
15. Fabrizio Lai

Superbike championship standings (after round 13 of 14):
1. Tom Sykes 411
2. Eugene Laverty 374
3. Sylvain Guintoli 373
4. Marco Melandri 339
5. Chaz Davies 270
6. Davide Giugliano 195
7. Michel Fabrizio 186
8. Loris Baz 180
9. Jonathan Rea 176
10. Jules Cluzel 162
11. Ayrton Badovini 127
12. Leon Camier 114
13. Leon Haslam 91
14. Max Neukirchner 84
15. Carlos Checa 80
16. Federico Sandi 54
17. Toni Elias 46
18. Mark Aitchison (AUS) 33
31. Glenn Allerton (AUS) 6
34. Jamie Stauffer (AUS) 4

Supersport race:
1. Kenan Sofuoglu
2. Sam Lowes
3. Christian Iddon
4. Fabien Foret
5. Sheridan Morais
6. Michael Vd Mark
7. Lorenzo Zanetti
8. Roberto Tamburini
9. Vladimir Leonov
10. Alex Baldolini
11. Jack Kennedy
12. Raffaele De Rosa
13. Massimo Roccoli
14. Kev Coghlan
15. Luca Scassa
16. Ronan Quarmby
17. Danny Webb
18. Luca Marconi
19. Alex Schacht
20. Balazs Nemeth
DNF. Brodie Waters (AUS)

Supersport championship standings (after round 12 of 13):
1. Sam Lowes 225
2. Kenan Sofuoglu 181
3. Fabien Foret 134
4. Michael Vd Mark 117
5. Lorenzo Zanetti 108
6. Jack Kennedy 76
7. Luca Scassa 75
8. Kev Coghlan 62
9. Roberto Rolfo 62
10. Vladimir Leonov 56
11. Andrea Antonelli 55
12. Florian Marino 53
13. Sheridan Morais 47
14. Christian Iddon 45
15. Riccardo Russo 38
16. Roberto Tamburini 35
17. Alex Baldolini 34
18. David Salom 27
19. Raffaele De Rosa 25
20. Massimo Roccoli 23
24. Glen Richards (AUS) 6

Click here for detailed results