Melandri moves to top of Championship
Marco Melandri took over from Max Biaggi at the top of the World Superbike Championship after securing victory in Race 2 at the Moscow Raceway, while Tom Sykes claimed only his second triumph of the season as the Kawasaki rider took the chequered flag in Race 1.
RACE ONE REPORT
As the inaugural Russian World Superbike race got underway, Sykes hit the front ahead of Eugene Laverty, Leon Haslam and pole-sitter Carlos Checa, the quartet changing positions throughout the first lap before the Kawasaki rider hit the front and begun to pull away.
Championship contenders Marco Melandri and Max Biaggi were fifth and ninth respectively which became seventh and eighth as the early scrapping saw Checa crash out with the momentary confusion allowing Davide Giugliano, Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies to add their names to the list of those challenging for the podium.
Sykes continued his impressive form at the front, pulling away to take a three second lead at the halfway point while Laverty was holding onto second as four riders fought for third place.
Meanwhile, Biaggi, although still just one position behind Melandri in seventh place, was losing contact with his Championship rival as he was over five seconds down the road.
Giugliano's challenge came to a halt with ten laps to go when he crashed, leaving Laverty, Davies, Haslam and Melandri to tussle for the podium with the quartet wheel to wheel as they refused to give inch.
That soon became a three-way battle behind Sykes as Melandri stormed into second and his BMW teammate Haslam went wide and dropped down to sixth, behind Biaggi. Laverty was third with Davies fourth. However, the latter joined the list of those crashing out, elevating Biaggi to fourth with a lap to go.
Sykes went on to claim the first World Superbike triumph in Moscow ahead of Melandri while Biaggi took the final podium position off Laverty on the last lap to retain his lead in the Championship. It is, however, down to just 6.5points.
Laverty was fourth ahead of Michel Fabrizio, Haslam, Niccolo Canepa and Lorenzo Zanetti.
RACE TWO REPORT
Tom Sykes, who won the opening race on Sunday morning, took the early lead in Race 2 ahead of Eugene Laverty and Leon Haslam while the Championship protagonists Marco Melandri and Max Biaggi were fourth and eighth. The duo set about working their way to the front of the pack and were third and fifth after four laps.
However, it was Sykes who was in control as the Kawasaki rider put some distance between himself and the chasing pack, now led by Melandri. The BMW rider, though, came under attack from Laverty and Haslam who retook second and third with Biaggi now right on Melandri's rear tyre.
With just 6.5 points between the two in the standings it was set up for the perfect run in to the day's second chequered flag.
However, the track and the cool conditions seemed to favour Melandri more than Biaggi and, like in Race 1, the BMW rider came to the fore while the Aprilia rider fell off the pace, Melandri up to second and Biaggi down to seventh.
Melandri soon pulled away from Laverty and Jonathan Rea, taking the fight to Sykes. His motivation was given a boost when 15 laps from the end Biaggi crashed out.
Launching his attack on Sykes, Melandri cut into his lead a tenth at a time before finally overhauling the Kawasaki rider to move up into the 25-point position. The Italian immediately set about building up a lead while Sykes, Rea and Laverty fought over final podium positions.
Melandri held his nerve to cross the line ahead of Sykes with Chaz Davies, who made a late charge, completing the podium. The BMW rider's victory means he is now leading the riders' championship by 18.5pts ahead of Biaggi.
Pole-sitter and reigning World Champion Carlos Checa was fourth ahead of Leon Camier, Guigliano, Rea and Ayrton Badovini.
RACE ONE RESULTS
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'07.852
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 41'16.730
3. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 41'20.455
4. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 41'20.879
5. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 41'37.434
6. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 41'38.439
7. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 41'40.022
8. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 41'42.556
9. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 41'48.218
10. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'48.995
11. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'52.215
12. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 41'55.665
13. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 42'00.502
14. Alexander Lundh (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 42'28.125
15. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 41'39.250
16. David McFadden (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'27.699
RT. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 37'57.494
RT. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 21'32.720
RT. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 16'39.543
RT. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 3'30.881
RT. Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 3'33.072
RACE TWO RESULTS
1. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 40'14.677
2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40'15.653
3. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 40'18.890
4. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40'20.631
5. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 40'28.245
6. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40'29.850
7. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 40'37.802
8. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 40'38.373
9. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40'38.561
10. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 40'38.773
11. Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 40'39.558
12. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 40'54.320
13. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'16.126
14. Alexander Lundh (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41'51.273
RT. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38'39.475
RT. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 14'32.025
RT. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 14'32.916
RT. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 1'47.409
RT. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR
RT. David McFadden (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R
RT. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR
