Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) s’est imposé pour la septième fois de l’année en dominant la première des deux courses de la huitième manche du Championnat du Monde eni FIM Superbike 2014 à l’Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.
Sous un ciel nuageux, le détenteur de la pole position a été devancé par Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) et Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) au départ mais n’a pas tardé à reprendre l’avantage et à creuser l’écart tandis que ses deux adversaires se retrouvaient dans un groupe de cinq poursuivants qui comprenait aussi Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) et Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team).
Sykes comptait déjà deux secondes d’avance à la mi-course, suite à laquelle Guintoli est parvenu à remonter en deuxième position. Le Français n’a pas pu revenir sur le Britannique mais s’est aisément assuré la seconde place devant Baz, Melandri et Rea tandis que Davies était tombé dans le douzième tour suite à contact avec Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team). Le Gallois avait pu repartir mais a plus tard été contraint à rentrer aux stands tandis que Haslam a terminé en onzième position après avoir redémarré à la seizième place.
Les quelques gouttes de pluie à l’origine du drapeau blanc dans le onzième tour n’ont au final pas eu de conséquence sur la course. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) a fini par prendre le dessus sur Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) et Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) pour prendre la sixième place.
Neuvième, David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) a battu Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) sur le fil, de 0.014s, alors que le Français avait mené la bataille pour la victoire en catégorie EVO durant toute la course. Jérémy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) a pris les points de la douzième place devant Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing). Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India) a quant à lui été contraint à l’abandon, tout comme Toni Elías (Red Devils Roma Aprilia), tombé en début de course.
An enthralling 20 lap race 1 saw Tom Sykes emerge victorious at a cloudy and overcast Portimao.
At the start it was Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea that took the holeshot, leading for the opening three laps before Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Marco 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 3 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 Sylvain 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 took out Chaz Davies after losing the front end of his Pata Honda, both riders able to remount with Davies later retiring. Haslam eventually finished 11th.
At the front Sylvain Guintoli had elevated himself to 2nd and began to quickly reduce the gap to Sykes before he responded to retain a lead of 2 seconds until the flag.
Guintoli made his return to the podium in 2nd ahead of compatriot Baz with Marco Melandri 4th.
Jonathan Rea faded to a lonely 5th 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 6th.
Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) 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.
At the start it was Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea that took the holeshot, leading for the opening three laps before Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Marco 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 3 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 Sylvain 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 took out Chaz Davies after losing the front end of his Pata Honda, both riders able to remount with Davies later retiring. Haslam eventually finished 11th.
At the front Sylvain Guintoli had elevated himself to 2nd and began to quickly reduce the gap to Sykes before he responded to retain a lead of 2 seconds until the flag.
Guintoli made his return to the podium in 2nd ahead of compatriot Baz with Marco Melandri 4th.
Jonathan Rea faded to a lonely 5th 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 6th.
Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia) 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.
