Source: Kawasaki

Storming rides from Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes secured the home star a popular double victory at round five of the World Superbike Championship at Donington Park.

A repeat of his 2013 feat seemed unlikely from 11th on the grid, but after a slow start in race one, Sykes found his rhythm and began to pick off rivals piece by piece in an effort to get to the front.

The factory Kawasaki rider was soon in the top five before setting his sights on the leaders. He faced strong opposition from French teammate Loris Baz who defended the lead aggressively for a number of laps before relinquishing the place.

Sykes went on to claim his 17th career win, one he described as the best of his career.

Baz held steady for second, while Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes scored a popular final podium placing after leading the race in the early stages.

Fourth place went the way of Aprilia’s Marco Melandri, who had also challenged for the lead early but lacked the legs down the stretch.

Ducati’s Chaz Davies had the edge on Honda’s Jonathan Rea at the line, the pairing crossing in fifth and sixth respectively, while Sylvain Guintoli, Leon Haslam, Toni Elias and EVO class runner David Salom took the final top 10 placings.

Sykes would start 11th again for race two but was bristling with confidence and was able to easily claw his way to the head of the pack.

As in race one, his greatest opposition was his younger teammate, who fought hard to protect his lead but would ultimately hand it back to Sykes on lap 11.

The popular win and perfect points haul puts Sykes 26 points clear of Baz in the championship hunt as his championship defence campaign continues to gain momentum.

Another second place was the best Baz could hope for, 3.678s away from Sykes at the line, with Guintoli recovering from his race one struggles for third.

Polesitter Giugliano was solid in fourth after a race one DNF, with Davies again getting the better of Rea for fifth.

Haslam was a lone seventh on the second factory Honda, with Elias eighth and under fire from a resurgent Lowes who fought his way back from dead last to ninth after a crash involving Melandri.

Salom completed the top 10, taking the honour of top EVO class runner on both outings.

Michael van der Mark earned a hard-fought win aboard the Pata Honda machine in the World Supersport class, surviving an onslaught from MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport’s Jules Cluzel on the closing lap.

van der Mark held on to the win by just 0.114 seconds, while Yamaha’s Kevin Coghlan managed third place on the podium ahead of Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu who was again hampered by technical issues down the stretch.

Florian Marino was fifth from PJ Jacobsen and Jack Kennedy, with Roberto Tamburini, Raffaele De Rosa and Roberto Rolfo completing the top 10.

The win moves van der Mark 14 points clear of the consistent Marino in the world championship, with Cluzel climbing to third outright.

Javier Orellana claimed the 10-lap European Junior Cup clash, with Angelo Licciardi and Augusto Fernandez joining him on the podium in the one-make Honda class.

2014 World Superbike Championship
Round five – Donington Park, England

Superbike race one results:
1. Tom SYKES
2. Loris BAZ +1.538
3. Alex LOWES +6.394
4. Marco MELANDRI +11.875
5. Chaz DAVIES +14.514
6. Jonathan REA +14.708
7. Sylvain GUINTOLI +18.483
8. Leon HASLAM +29.295
9. Toni ELIAS +31.291
10. David SALOM +46.953

Superbike race two results:
1. Tom SYKES
2. Loris BAZ +3.678
3. Sylvain GUINTOLI +7.376
4. Davide GIUGLIANO +10.827
5. Chaz DAVIES +15.140
6. Jonathan REA +17.975
7. Leon HASLAM +33.737
8. Toni ELIAS +40.362
9. Alex LOWES +41.465
10. David SALOM +48.929

Superbike championship standings (after round five of 15):
1. Tom SYKES 185
2. Jonathan REA 159
3. Loris BAZ 159
4. Sylvain GUINTOLI 148
5. Chaz DAVIES 109
6. Marco MELANDRI 97
7. Davide GIUGLIANO 82
8. Leon HASLAM 75
9. Alex LOWES 73
10. Eugene LAVERTY 65

Supersport race results:
1. Michael van der MARK
2. Julez CLUZEL +0.114
3. Kevin COGHLAN +1.266
4. Kenan SOFUOGLU +1.556
5. Florian MARINO +7.472
6. PJ JACOBSEN +10.557
7. Jack KENNEDY +13.952
8. Roberto TAMBURINI +14.783
9. Raffaele DE ROSA +15.363
10. Roberto ROLFO +16.585

Supersport championship standings (after round five of 15):
1. Michael van MARK 90
2. Florian MARINO 76
3. Jules CLUZEL 62
4. Kevin COGHLAN 60
5. Lorenzo ZANETTI 49
6. Raffaele DE ROSA 45
7. Kenan SOFUOGLU 38
8. Roberto TAMBURINI 37
9. Roberto ROLFO 36
10. PJ JACOBSEN 32

Click here for detailed results