Rea takes honours at Assen

Assen - Jonathan Rea drove a tactically perfect race as he recorded victory in race two at Assen in the World Superbikes Championship in Netherlands on Sunday.

It was a home victory for Ten Kate Honda who crucially elected to start Rea on the slick tyres around the damp circuit after heavy rains during race one.

Race one winner Sylvain Guintoli failed to keep up the pace after leading the majority of race two and was passed by Rea three laps from the finish line. The Frenchman did, however, still manage to hold on for the second place.

Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty completed the podium positions, while Marco Melandri and Leon Haslam finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Championship leader Carlos Checa endured a nightmare ride as his downfall came after selecting to start the race on full wet tyres. It proved the wrong decision and the Spaniard could only home in 16th place after being forced to pit early to change his tyres.

But it was Rea who was the hero as the Briton was originally not expected to be so competitive after having some pain-killing injections to a finger which he injured during a crash in race one.

Results - Race 1:

1. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 18m 38.395s
2. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R +2.633s
3. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R +3.031s
4. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +3.927s
5. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +4.374s
6. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +11.359s
7. Jakub Smrz CZE Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R +26.412s
8. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R +37.562s
9. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR +49.896s
10. Leandro Mercado ARG Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 08.847s
11. Maxime Berger FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +1m 11.760s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +1m 13.988s
13. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 27.019s
14. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R +1 lap
15. Mark Aitchison AUS Grillini Progea BMW S1000RR +3 laps

Not classified

16. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +45.541s
17. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 3 laps completed
18. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 2 laps completed
19. John Hopkins USA Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 1 lap completed
20. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 0 laps completed
21. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 0 laps completed
DID NOT START SECOND PART
DNS Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R
DNS Brett McCormick CAN Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R

Results - Race 2:

1. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 36m 45.936s
2. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +2.189s
3. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +12.638s
4. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR +12.762s
5. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR +12.764s
6. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +20.393s
7. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +36.317s
8. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +37.747s
9. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R +41.350s
10. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +43.930s
11. John Hopkins USA Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +57.515s
12. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 32.593s
13. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +1m 33.576s
14. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1 lap
15. Leandro Mercado ARG Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1 lap
16. Mark Aitchison AUS Grillini Progea BMW S1000RR +1 lap
17. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R +1 lap

Not classified

18. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R 20 laps completed
19. Jakub Smrz CZE Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R 18 laps completed
20. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 11 laps completed
21. Maxime Berger FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R 11 laps completed
22. Brett McCormick CAN Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R 9 laps completed
23. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R 7 laps completed