Assen WSBK: Rea doubles up in tricky second race

Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea made it two World Superbike wins for the weekend at Assen after timing his wets to slicks tyre change perfectly today and taking the chequered flag by two seconds from team-mate Tom Sykes.

Rain in the middle of the Supersport race ensured everyone on the grid bar Sylvain Guintoli started on wets and Rea bided his time, running around in the leading pack of five riders as the track dried out.

Milwaukee BMW’s Josh Brookes put on a display of how to ride on wets on a drying track, and picked his way through the field to take the lead on lap five, passing Nicky Hayden, Sykes and Van Der Mark in one lap.

Brookes then set about pulling a gap and lapping Althea BMW’s Markus Reiterbeger as Hayden went past his Honda team-mate to take second place.

Roman Ramos was the first to pit in and he was followed by Rea, who had ridden around the outside of Van Der Mark for second, then Sykes and Jordi Torres.

The Irishman left with slicks fitted while Sykes opted for intermediates as Van Der Mark and Davide Giugliano also pitted in a lap later on.

Brookes, meanwhile, had Hayden for company and then the pair came in for slicks with ten left to go, joined by Davies on the second Ducati. But it was disaster for the reigning British Superbike Champion as he crashed at turn nine, losing the front.

As the pitstops played out, Lucas Mahias grabbed the lead for two laps but Rea and Sykes were all over him. Rea took the with seven to go after being held up by Reiterberger while Sykes was held up by Brookes team-mate Karel Abraham.

After running wide and allowing Sykes to catch up, Rea then made full use of his slicks advantage, putting a space between himself and the second Kawasaki while Van Der Mark grabbed third place in front of his home crowd.

Lorenzo Savadori nicked fourth place on the Ioda Aprilia while Davies ended in fifth. Hayden just got the better of Alex Lowes for sixth with Giugliano in eighth, Leon Camier in ninth and Xavi Fores tenth.

Guintoli’s gamble of a wet front and intermediate rear didn’t quite pay off and he finished in 11th