PH2: World Superbikes, yes, Senior TT, no

An Italian round usually means one thing - the Italian riders get all excitable and good showings are guaranteed. Only this time the Brits abroad did their best to ruin the party.

Another pole for Sykes and with Rea next to him race one looked good for the Brits at Misano. True to form, Sykes took the lead and hung on for the first half of the race with Rea and Haslam on his tail. The chances of an all-Brit podium looked shot when first Rea then Haslam, Melandri, Biaggi, Checa and an unusually rapid (and Italian) Davide Giuliano passed Sykes, although the Brit managed to hold them up and Rea made a decent break for it once in the lead.

A near two second lead for Rea soon dropped to under a second as Giuliano and Biaggi hunted him down with Checa placed ominously in fourth. A serious of Italian hot headed overtakes saw Giuliano hit the lead, Biaggi second and Checa third with Rea dropped off in fourth. The two Romans clashed fairings with a few laps to go and Biaggi took the lead with Checa hot on his heels and Giuliano looking distinctly wild in third. Job done and, as it should be. an Italian wins at his home round on an Italian bike. A quick mention must go to Chaz Davies, who stormed through from way back on the grid to finish sixth.

Race two and the three Brits once again lead the charge before the Italians attacked. Biaggi and Giuliano got their elbows out and Haslam dropped to fifth! You have to feel sorry for Sykes. Once again he secures pole, leads the field then... yep, once again Biaggi overtakes him for the lead. Behind the leaders Melandri and Checa clashed, with Checa hitting the ground and denting his title charge as well as his Ducati. Biaggi and an empty track means one thing - you won't see him again and the Italian didn't put a foot wrong, easily winning the race while the inevitable happened behind - Giuliano hit the deck in a predictable moment of red mist!

A British 2,3,4,5 was eventually resolved as Laverty crashed and retired while Rea just beat Haslam to line after a cracking dice.

In World Supersport, Brit Sam Lowes set pole but crashed during the race, which was won by Kenan Sofuoglu.

The bad news on the Isle of Man was that the wet weekend weather saw the Senior TT cancelled for the first time in its 105-year history after riders decided it was unsafe. The Lightweight TT still went ahead and was won by Ryan Farquhar from James Hillier and Michael Rutter, with all three riding heavily altered Kawasaki ER-6 machines.

WSB Results:
Race 1:
1 Biaggi
2 Checa
3 Giuliano
4 Sykes
5 Rea

Race 2:
1 Biaggi
2 Rea
3 Haslam
4 Melandri
5 Badovini

Championship Points:
1 Biaggi 210.5
2 Rea 172
3 Sykes 164.5
4 Melandri 155.5
5 Checa 150.5

Brit watch: (Race 1, Race 2)
Jonathan Rea: (5,2 )
Leon Haslam: (12, 3)
Eugene Laverty: (7,DNF )
Ton Sykes: (4, 7)
Leon Camier: (10,15 )
Chaz Davies (6, DNF)

Copyright PistonHeads® 1998-2013