PH2 has to start the Magny-Cours round up with a huge congratulations to Sam Lowes for taking the 2013 World Supersport Championship. Brilliant riding all season Sam and also well done to Christian Iddon, who finished the red-flagged Supersport race in third on the MV F3.
With two more wins, Sykes is on for the WSB title
With a healthy 23-point lead and only four races left to go, Tom Sykes could have been forgiven for taking it easy in France. But with Laverty the man on form and Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli on home soil, that wasn't really an option for Sykes...
After a typically strong start, Sykes took the lead with Guintoli all over his back wheel while down the field Laverty was riding like a man possessed, sticking it under Melandri for fourth before Chaz Davies followed suit only to fall off a few corners later.
By mid-race Sykes had over two seconds advantage on Guintoli. However with Laverty now in third and catching his team mate, Tom wasn't able to relax quite yet. With four laps to go, a bike on fire saw the race red flagged, much to the relief of the guys in green.
Sam Lowes is the 2013 Supersport champ
Race two and having got a great start, this time Sykes had both Aprilias right on his tail. This year Sykes has been riding incredibly strongly in the opening few laps and true to form, with just 10 laps gone he had built up a substantial lead over the battling Aprilia team mates.
An insane final lap where the rain fell alongside the two Aprilia riders nearly saw Sykes crowned world champion. However the red flag was waved due to the weather, not the spinning Aprilia motorcycles, so the championship will go down to the final round at Jerez. With a 37-point lead, you have to say the title is Sykes', but as last year proved, in WSB nothing is certain...
Race 1:
1. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team)
2. Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team)
3. Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team)
Race 2:
1. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team)
2. Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team)
3. Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team)
Championship places:
1: Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team)
2: Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team)
3: Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team)
Brit watch
Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team)- 3, 2
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) - 1, 1
Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) - DNS
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) - 8, DNF
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) - DNS
Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) - DNF, 5