Source: Pata Honda.

Changeable weather played a big role in the eighth World Superbike round’s race day at Portimao’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. This year’s Portuguese races were held in opposite track conditions and saw different podium finishers in the two encounters.

Reigning champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) won a dry race one ahead of Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) and teammate Loris Baz, whilst in race two Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) was victorious under wet conditions, with the Ducati Superbike Team duo Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies completing the top three.

The main turn of events of the day took place in the second encounter, when Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli collided and crashed on lap 13 following an overtaking attempt by the Frenchman on the Italian rider.

Guintoli was able to rejoin the race, eventually finishing in seventh position, whilst Melandri’s charge to the top drew to a close on the run off area of the track.

Sykes, who was eighth at the finish line in race two, took advantage by this situation and now leads the title race by 43 points over Guintoli, as the series heads to Laguna Seca for the second back to back round before the summer break.

An enthralling 20 lap race one saw Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) emerge victorious at a cloudy and overcast Portimao to claim his seventh win of the season and the 21st of his WSBK career.

At the start it was Pata Honda’s Rea that took the holeshot, leading for the opening three laps before Sykes and Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) overtook him into turn one at the start of lap four.

By half distance the constant swapping of positions had allowed reigning champion Sykes to stretch his lead to three seconds, before seconds later the white flag was waved to indicate that rain was beginning to fall.

Behind the leader five riders that included Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), and Guintoli, Leon Haslam on the second of the Pata Honda’s slowly began to close the gap, giving the fans a six rider group battling for the podium places.

Leon Haslam collided with Chaz Davies, both riders able to remount with Davies later retiring. Haslam eventually finished 11th.

At the front Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) had elevated himself to second and began to quickly reduce the gap to Sykes before he responded to retain a lead of two seconds until the flag. Guintoli made his return to the podium in second ahead of compatriot Baz, with Marco Melandri fourth.

Rea faded to a lonely fifth ahead of Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) who passed Ducati’s Davide Giugliano and his team mate Eugene Laverty on the final lap to finish sixth.

Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team) and David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) were never more than 0.1s apart for the entire race with Salom, eventually coming out on top by 0.014s on the line to claim the EVO honours.

Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) crashed out after improving from his lowly grid position whilst Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki), Geoff May (Team Hero EBR), both Grillini Kawasaki riders Bryan Staring and Sheridan Morais, Peter Sebestyen (Team Toth BMW) and Chaz Davies all retired.

“I had a poor start in race one and it is a long race round here, long enough race to make some corrections,” Sykes said. “I am happy because we had a good gap then the rain started to come. I didn’t want to do anything stupid and it was very difficult to calculate the levels of grip because in some parts of the circuit it was raining more heavily than in others.

“Luckily the cloud disappeared with a good amount of laps left, to go so I could take an advantage again. In the wet of race two we had some issues but I cannot be disappointed because we have shown great potential. There was too much for me to lose today. Some other riders made mistakes and so I extended my championship lead.”

The second race of the day at Portimao was held in tricky conditions as the rain which began during the Supersport race continued to fall at the Portuguese circuit.

Rea romped home after a reduced race distance of 18 laps as the winner after Guintoli and his team mate Marco Melandri collided at turn five in the closing stages. Guintoli was able to remount eventually finishing seventh.

Behind Rea, Giugliano was a lonely second with Davies snatching the final podium spot from Lowes and Haslam after an enthralling final few laps in which third position changed several times. Baz finished sixth.

Race one winner Sykes finished race two a lowly eighth after dropping back through the pack. He was passed on the penultimate lap by the recovering Guintoli who salvaged seventh at the flag. In the EVO battle the honours in race two went to Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia), the Frenchman finishing 11th overall.

“I was really disappointed after race one because we had good pace in warm-up this morning,” Rea said. “When I heard the rain coming on my motorhome roof I knew that it was a chance for me. I tried to do my own race from the front but the Aprilias had better pace at the middle point of the race.

“The track had started to dry out a bit and we were really suffering with corner exit but, although the conditions were a great leveller for all riders, it’s nice to take a win. I’d prefer to take it in the dry and we can’t get too excited because it’s a wet win; but we’ll take them any way we can and it’s 25 points not just for me but for the whole team.”

Lone Australian in the field Bryan Staring pitted during race one, before he wound up race two in 14th – fourth of the EVO runners – aboard the Grillini Kawasaki.

2014 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round eight – Portimao, Portugal

Superbike race one results:
1. Tom Sykes
2. Sylvain Guintoli
3. Loris Baz
4. Marco Melandri
5. Jonathan Rea
6. Alex Lowes
7. Davide Giugliano
8. Eugene Laverty
9. David Salom (E)
10. Sylvain Barrier (E)

Superbike race two results:
1. Jonathan Rea
2. Davide Giugliano
3. Chaz Davies
4. Alex Lowes
5. Leon Haslam
6. Loris Baz
7. Sylvain Guintoli
8. Tom Sykes
9. Eugene Laverty
10. Toni Elias
14. Bryan Staring (AUS) (E)

Superbike championship standings:
1. Tom Sykes 284
2. Sylvain Guintoli 241
3. Loris Baz 236
4. Jonathan Rea 235
5. Marco Melandri 192
6. Chaz Davies 159
7. Eugene Laverty 121
8. Leon Haslam 115
9. Toni Elias 115
10. Alex Lowes 111
22. Glenn Allerton (AUS) (E) 6
23. Bryan Staring (AUS)(E) 5

Click here for detailed results