A podium and some upsets in Superbike

Jonathan Rea was hoping to use his weekend at Magny-Cours to close the gap on the championship leader after taking pole position at the season’s seventh round. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. On Saturday afternoon, the Kawasaki rider crashed on the third lap of race 1. “I was really unlucky," commented Rea. “I hit the rumble strip with a sensor located under the brake caliper. It lifted the front wheel and there was nothing I could do to avoid crashing. I was able to restart, but with a bent handlebar I had to pit again. The team allowed me to get back out on track, which was important in gaining experience from this first race in terms of bike handling and tyre wear." In the end, Rea finished in 24th place, one lap behind the winner.

“We set up the bike differently the next day," continued the Brit. “We added weight to the front end to help it turn, while improving stability at the rear." These modifications allowed him to get on the Sprint race podium. Unfortunately, Race 2 did not go quite as well, with Rea causing Bautista to crash while passing him under braking. “I made an unintentional mistake and I apologized to Alvaro," said the Kawasaki rider. “With a long lap penalty, I had to give up any hopes of winning.” Rea finished fifth, just behind teammate Alex Lowes. The latter, now recovered from his injuries, went well in central France, taking three fourth places.