The opening race of the Magny Cours FIM Superbike World Championship weekend had begun in wet conditions but the track dried out through all 21-laps, after which Tom Sykes (KRT) had taken third place and Jonathan Rea (KRT) fourth.

Both Superpole winner Rea and second fastest qualifier Sykes started out on full wet tyre options at the start of the first race but changed them after making a pit stop as conditions improved. Sykes took on slick tyres and almost took second place as a result, on the very last lap. Rea earned fourth place on a set of intermediate tyres.

The entire race was punctuated by many riders moving rapidly back and forward through the rankings but early leader Sykes led, with confidence, for eight laps. Rea was in second place until lap eight, as a dry line appeared more emphatically with every passing lap.

Realising they had to stop for tyres, the KRT riders entered pitlane together, and went out together, dropping to the lower reaches of the top ten as a short-lived consequence of their pit lane entry.

On their different tyre choices they rode at the same pace for some time but eventually Sykes passed by Rea and then made up ground and positions, running at a high pace. Tom eventually got to within touching distance of second place on the very last lap. He set the fastest lap of the race on the very last circuit, posting a 1’40.491.

Rea had played a patient game to take a fourth place finish, passing one rider on the final lap to end up just one place behind his main championship rival Sykes. Jonathan had won Superpole in wet conditions earlier in the day, his seventh Superpole success of his career but his first in 2016 on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R.

Chaz Davies won the opening Magny Cours race, with Michael van der Mark second. In the championship points, Jonathan has 406; Tom is 44 behind on 362, with Davies now 86 points behind Jonathan and in third place overall.

Race two at Magny Cours will take place on Sunday October 2nd, at 13.00. Dry weather is expected but KRT is ready to face any condition after Saturday’s ever-changing wet and dry experience.

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情报提供元 [ Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V. ]