Melandri wins Race 1
Marco Melandri has won Race 1 at Portimao, following a close battle in the closing stages with Sylvain Guintoli that ended up with just a 0.007 gap between the two at the finish line - 4th smallest margin for victory ever in a WSBK race. A perfect exit out of the last corner was just not enough for the Championship leader to snatch victory over the Italian.
Aprilia's race outcome was well saved by the Frenchman after team mate's Eugene Laverty unfortunate retire on lap 12, consequence of a technical problem he sustained while he was on the lead. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) - the only first row starter to finish the race - completed the podium with a solid 3rd place, after losing some ground from the top in the final part. Best result so far in the season for Leon Camier and the FIXI Crescent Suzuki Team, as the tall British rider finished 4th ahead of a sore Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) and Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma Aprilia).
Camier's team mate Jules Cluzel got the better of Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) on the last lap, finishing 8th. Pata Honda Team's unfortunate first race of the day saw Jonathan Rea retiring due to a technical problem and Leon Haslam pulling in after losing the feeling in both arms, as the 30 year old from Derby was trying to compensate the lack of strength in his injured left leg.
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) was the winner of Race 2 at Portimao. The Irishman, back on the podium after one round of absence, managed to score his 4th victory of the season. Of the seven wins achieved so far in his WSBK career, six of them came in the second race.
The only rider able to keep up with the winner, at least in the first half of the race, was Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike). The Ulsterman was edged out of 2nd place in the closing stages by Sylvain Guintoli, who completed the third one-two for the works Aprilia team in 2013 after the total domination of the Season Opener in Phillip Island. Thanks to his podium finish number 9 in the season, the Frenchman is still the Championship leader with 209 points ahead of Tom Sykes.
The Kawasaki Racing Team rider, who had a very early crash on the sighting lap, at Turn 2, managed after several attempts to make his way back to the pits, from where he started the race. Towards the end of Lap 1 the Englishman had to pull in again but, after returning to the track for the third time, with no chances left for a top-15 finish, Sykes showed an incredible pace and even set the new lap record in 1'42.475.
The Kawasaki Racing Team had something to cheer anyway, as Loris Baz finished fourth ahead of Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), a tenacious Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) and Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki).
An excessive rear tyre wear forced Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) to ride defensively to a 12th place at the flag. The issue that hampered the performance of the Italian rider is currently under investigation by Pirelli. A technical problem is the reason behind the withdrawal from Race 2 by Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) on the twelfth lap.
Portimao - eni FIM Superbike - Race One: 1. Marco Melandri (BMW) 38'12.447: 2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.007: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +4.224: 4. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +9.479: 5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +12.057. 8. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +22.337.
Portimao - eni FIM Superbike - Race Two: 1. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 38'02.051: 2. Guintoli +4.107: 3. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +5.853: 4. Baz +15.306: 5. Chaz Davies (BMW) +17.552. 7. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +29.392. DNF: Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki).
Championship Classification: 1. Guintoli 213: 2. Sykes 185: 3. Laverty 174: 4. Melandri 156: 5. Davies 133. 10. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 72: 11. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 62.
