Austin Rothbard, Twisted Road | Ep. 73 Rider Magazine Insider Podcast

Episode 73 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is sponsored by Fire Power. Our guest is Austin Rothbard, Founder and CEO of Twisted Road, a peer-to-peer motorcycle rental platform. We learn how the rental process works, from both the owner and renter perspectives. Peer-to-peer rentals are a great way to try out new motorcycles or fly into an area for a motorcycle tour.

You can check out Episode 73 on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPodbean, and YouTube or via the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast webpage. Please subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and tell your friends! Scroll down for a list of previous episodes.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com

Iannone’s best weekend of 2024: “Races like this improve my motivation… we’re on a good path”

After taking Race 1 victory on Saturday, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) backed that up with two P4s on Sunday at MotorLand Aragon as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action concluded. It was an incredible weekend for ‘The Maniac’ who, after almost 3000 days, was back on the top step of a World Championship podium and he then went on to have what he described as ‘one of the best Sundays of this year’ during the Tissot Aragon Round.

Iannone started the Tissot Superpole Race from P2 on the grid and stayed there on the opening lap, before dropping to fourth on Lap 2. He remained there for the rest of the race, securing a second row start for Race 2. In the 18-lap race, he moved into third place at the start after Bulega lost ground when the lights went out. Iannone stayed in third until Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) came through, demoting the #29 into fourth, before he found himself in fifth as Bulega continued to recover.

Iannone and Gerloff swapped places on Lap 12 as the Italian rider moved himself back into fourth but that fight went right to the wire. On the final lap at Turn 16, American star Gerloff attempted to pass Iannone but ran wide, allowing Iannone to keep P4 with Gerloff staying in fifth. In total, Iannone picked up 44 points at Aragon across the three races, the most in a single round for the rookie as he tightens up the fight for P6 in the Championship standings. Just two points separate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Iannone and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Reflecting on his Sunday results, Iannone said: “I think it was one of the best Sundays of this year. We achieved two fourth places. I pushed in the races on Sunday at 100% and with our potential, we got the best result. I’m really happy because we improved a lot compared to Saturday; the pace improved a lot. This is important. I think we’re on a good path.”

He was then asked what he felt he was missing to repeat his Saturday win, Iannone stated: “On Sunday, it was a really good race. We were really close to Nicolo. I think races like this improve my motivation. When we lose, we’re clearer on what we need to improve, and also, I understood a lot in this race; also, on the bike because we worked well. We had time to try things because two weeks ago, we had a test here.”

The Iannone-Gerloff fight was one of many highlights from Race 2, with the pair nose-to-tail throughout the majority of the 18-lap race and nothing separating them until Gerloff ran wide at the final corner on the last lap. Iannone spoke about the battle, explaining how he was able to come out on top in the fight for fourth.

He said: “With battles, it’s always good! In the end, races are fun when you have battles and overtakes. On the last lap, Gerloff tried to overtake me, but I braked really heavily, and he wanted to brake later than me. He went straight on. It’s normal. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and today, I won this battle.”

Watch all the action from WorldSBK in 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Three top-five finishes at Aragon for Gerloff: “The best weekend I’ve had in a really long time!”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) has been on an incredible run of form in recent rounds, collecting two podiums and being a consistent presence in the top ten of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. He continued that run at Aragon, taking third in Race 1 and two more top-five finishes in Sunday’s two races for the Tissot Aragon Round, and the #31 has moved into ninth in the Riders’ Championship standings.

Gerloff’s self-confessed weakness this season has been the Tissot Superpole sessions, and he secured P10 on the grid for Race 1, before eventually moving his way up the order in a frantic race to claim third and a second podium of the season. On Sunday, he once again went from P10 in the Tissot Superpole Race to finish in fifth and secure a second row start for Race 2, giving him a better grid position and the possibility to fight for the podium.

Discussing his Superpole Race, the Texan said: “I was really happy with the pace that I had. I didn’t realise how fast they were going up at the front, which was even faster! I was happy to be doing 1’48s on the race tyre and, in general, I felt like I had a really good bike underneath me. I had a couple of issues pop up but nothing major. I gave it all I had so I can be happy.”

In Race 2, Gerloff was able to maintain his grid position at the end of the race although he had been in the podium fight. He ran in fourth from Laps 2 to 8, before moving ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) to get into a podium place. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was on a comeback charge and he demoted the #31 to fourth before Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) came through to take P4 away from Gerloff.

Reflecting on Race 2, a positive Gerloff stated: “I’d say it’s probably the best weekend I’ve had in a really long time. That’s something super positive. I’m a bit disappointed as I thought I’d have a bit more pace in Race 2 to be able to stay in third. As soon as I got to third, I just, for some reason, lacked a bit of pace. Props to Nicolo and also Alvaro and Toprak. They had super-fast pace. I did everything that I could, I made a lunge on Iannone on the last lap. I missed the shift so that didn’t help me at all! I was pushing the front but couldn’t stop. All in all, to be top five all weekend except for Superpole was pretty good.”

Aragon was the first time in his WorldSBK career that Gerloff took three top-five finishes in a weekend, and it capped off a remarkable run of form. Since, and including, Portimao, the eight-time podium finisher has been outside the top 10 twice in 12 races. Between Australia and Most, he was inside the top ten four times – and two of those were at the season-opening Australian Round.

Discussing what’s changed in recent rounds to create this form, Gerloff said: “I think everything just stayed pretty consistent in the last few weekends. We haven’t been chasing our tail, we’ve been in a similar ballpark of setting and electronics. It’s been easier for me to push a bit closer to the limit and not feel like I’m riding over the limit. That’s been something nice. That’s all I really need, for the bike to be predictable, and I can try to ride a bit beyond it. I’ve felt pretty good all year on the bike, riding, I just haven’t had any lap time. For whatever reason, it’s been sorted out in the last few weekends, and it’s just come together. It’s late, which is annoying, but I’ve known I’ve got pace as a rider, I’ve got a good team and a good bike.”

Follow all the action from WorldSBK in 2024 in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

10 reasons why you can’t miss being trackside at Estoril!

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is heating up with just two rounds to go, with title fights raging on across all Championships. The next stop is the Circuito Estoril for the Estoril Round, and you will not want to miss this, with the track returning to the calendar at a crucial time in the season. Here are 10 reasons why you can’t miss being trackside at Estoril, so make sure you get your tickets HERE.

THE ACTION IS UNMISSABLE: red-hot on track

At Aragon, the action was fierce up and down the WorldSBK grid. At the front, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) shared the wins but they both had to withstand race-long pressure from rivals, while Bautista’s Tissot Superpole Race win was a last-lap thriller. Expect more of the same in Portugal…

THE TITLE COULD BE DECIDED: advantage Razgatlioglu…

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returned to WorldSBK action at Aragon and beat his title rival, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), across the weekend. His advantage is now 39 points over the #11 Ducati and if he leaves Estoril with a 62-point advantage or more, Razgatlioglu will be crowned Champion.

THE LAST TIME WE WERE THERE: three last-lap deciders!

WorldSBK last visited Estoril in 2022, the WorldSBK action was unforgettable. All three races were decided on the final lap, from epic drag races to the line or barely believable saves at the chicane. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), then at Kawasaki, and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) shared the wins as then-Yamaha rider Razgatlioglu missed out.

THE PADDOCK SHOW: off-track entertainment guaranteed

The WorldSBK Paddock Show takes place across all three days of track action and includes interactive activities, question, and answer sessions and much more. When there’s a break in the track action, why not venture over to the Paddock Show?

WORLD SUPERSPORT’S TITLE FIGHT: can Huertas clinch it?

Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has held the advantage over Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) despite the latter closing the gap massively in recent rounds. At Aragon, it stretched out to 41 points meaning Huertas can clinch it if he leaves Portugal with a 51-point margin (depending on wins, it could be 50) over Montella and 50 over Manzi.

BACK ON TRACK: WorldWCR returns for the penultimate round

WorldWCR has been nothing short of incredible in its inaugural season, which is now reaching a conclusion. Four or five riders are often fighting at the front and the biggest winning margin this season has been half-a-second. In fact, seven of the eight races have been decided by less than two tenths, while five had the top two less than a tenth apart.

MATCH POINT FOR CARRASCO: can she claim the title?

Given how competitive the Championship has been this season, it’s perhaps unlikely to see Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) wrap up the title a round early. She would need either a 51 or 50-point advantage over Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team), depending on wins, as well as Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha); they are 35 and 56 points back respectively.

PODIUM CELEBRATIONS WITH THE SPECTATORS: something to behold

The podium celebrations for every Championship take place at the Paddock Show, allowing fans to get as close to the rostrum as possible and generate an incredible atmosphere for the successful riders. Of course, it could also be extra special with potential title celebrations.

THE LOCATION: situated on Portugal’s coast

Situated in the municipality of Cascais, Estoril is a coastal town featuring a mix of modern and historical architecture. It’s a small town but that doesn’t stop there being plenty to see and do and staying in the town means you’ll get to see this as well as the incredible racing.

NOT FAR FROM LISBON: around an hour away

If you’d prefer the hustle and bustle of a city, the capital, Lisbon, is just an hour away. Similar to Estoril, it has plenty of history to admire as well as different styles of architecture, a lot of museums, galleries, monuments and more.

DON’T MISS OUT: get your tickets for the Estoril Round right HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

THREE WAY CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST: Toprak vs Bulega vs Bautista

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title race will head to the Circuito Estoril in two weeks. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) can be crowned Champion for a second time in Portugal if he leaves 62 or more points clear of his rivals Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

INCREDIBLE SHOWDOWN: Aragon delivers top class racing

#1 Ducati rider, Alvaro Bautista stormed back to the top spot after a thrilling last lap dual between his Championship contenders in Aragon in the Superpole Race. Bautista came out on top after a sensational Turn 15 pass on ‘El Turco’, achieving his 62nd win, and an incredible 99 wins for Spain.

Discussing his Superpole Race win, the Spaniard said: “I was really happy with the feeling. Yesterday I had some problem with the front so I wasn’t able to push to the limit but today everything was normal so I was able to push. In the Superpole race, it was really fast, I was on the limit trying to follow Toprak and Nicolo. Nicolo looked strong and so I said okay, maybe he can fight for the win so I stayed behind in third.”

“IF I WANT TO WIN, I HAVE TO PASS NICOLO AND TOPRAK…”

The 39-year-old rider continued: “But then in the last three laps I passed Toprak and saw Nicolo looked like he was missing something, like he had some difficulties so I said if I want to win, I have to pass Nicolo and Toprak. So, with 2 laps to go I passed Nicolo and in the last lap I tried to close in on Toprak and in the back straight I knew that was the only chance I had because the BMW is faster on the straight than Ducati here so it would be impossible to pass him there, so I pass him before the straight and it worked and I could keep the good position and I just closed the door. I was really happy because it was a really fine victory.”

RACE 2 BATTLES: “The pace was amazing…”

The #1 rider secured a double win on Sunday, taking the win in Race 2, ahead of Toprak and Bulega who completed the podium. Responding to comments on the impressive Race 2 pace at the Spanish Circuit, Alvaro said: “The pace was amazing, it was incredible as well because the pace especially after mid race was amazing, was similar to the Superpole race or even better. I had a good start, had a good rhythm. In the first few laps I struggled a lot with the full tank, with the weight so I was just letting the laps pass and then lap by lap i start to get a better feel of the bike, I can make better lines, I can force more with the bike and lap by lap I feel better and I kept pushing more and more. I had to concentrate because I was pushing to the limit. I was enjoying riding to the limit and I’m really happy for the victory and the feeling I have.”

DUCATI ORDERS: “There was nothing before this weekend…”

Describing questions regarding team orders in the Ducati garage, Alvaro said: “Before this weekend, there was nothing about team orders. But because Toprak races this weekend, we spoke about this, to at least not be between Toprak and Nicolo for Ducati to score points. This morning, yesterday was really unlucky for Nicolo and he lost a lot. This morning, I did that move to Nicolo because I show that he cannot fight against Toprak so in that moment I said okay all week was perfect and you are not going to be in between both so I try to win 3 points and more than 2 points for Nicolo and in the afternoon i was just pushing and said four points is better than five.”

“But I don’t know for the next round. My target is just to keep my confidence with the bike. Yeah, it would be nice to restart the championship now I am back to fitness but this is the situation. We had bad moments, But I learnt a lot and that’s the important thing, we do positive things with the bad moment and we are more prepared. No expectations for next track, just go there try to enjoy, have the same feeling I had with bike today and this weekend and try to have fun.”

Will Estoril be the decider? Watch it all from Portugal using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

SUNDAY DOUBLE! Bautista resists Razgatlioglu’s pressure for Race 2 win, Bulega battles for podium

It was an identical podium result to the morning Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Race 2, as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second victory of the day with an impressive three second lead ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the chequered flag.

100 SPAIN WINS: Bautista shines for Spain

The perfect home round unfolded for Bautista this weekend, as he took victory in Race 2 in Aragon. Starting from pole position, the #1 Ducati rider took the holeshot at lights out, and despite attempts from rivals Razgatlioglu and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) during the opening stages, he managed to hold onto P1. BMW’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled for fourth position with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) hunting them down.

BULEGA RECOVERS: Ducati rider’s difficult race

Bulega’s rocky weekend continued in Race 2, as he struggled in the early stages of the race, falling to ninth position with 17 laps remaining, despite a front row start. American rider Gerloff picked up his race pace with 10 laps to go, stalking #29 Iannone for a podium spot in third, managing to cleanly overtake the Italian. Nicolo Bulega managed to overcome his difficulties from earlier in the race, as he worked his way through the field, and pass Iannone into fourth position.

CONSISTENT TOPRAK: #54’s strong weekend comeback

Back at the front, Razgatlioglu was being held off from P1 by a Bautista who was determined to take a double win at the Aragon circuit. The double World Champion showed outstanding late race pace, which proved too much for the #54 to compete with, and with vital Championship points to consider, he settled into a comfortable second place crossing the line 3.366s behind #1, with Bulega managing to achieve a respectable third place ahead of Iannone in fourth. It’s the 26th time Bautista has won ahead of Razgatlioglu, as he claimed a Sunday double on home soil.

39 POINT LEAD: Bulega focuses on next round

Garrett Gerloff’s strong Race 2 ride resulted in a fifth-place result, as he led triple Cremona winner Danilo Petrucci and Van Der Mark over the line in 6th and 7th. Spain’s Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Yamaha rider Locatelli took eight and ninth, whilst Xavi Vierge (Teeam HRC) completed the top 10 finishers at the Aragon track.

The top six from WorldSBK Superpole Race, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +3.366s
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +10.800s
4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +12.338s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +13.903s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +14.647s
Fastest lap: Álvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’48.121s

Championship standings:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 414 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 375
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 333
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 277
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 264
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 197

Source: WorldSBK.com

MAGNIFICENT MONTELLA: P1 in Aragon ahead of Manzi and Navarro

The FIM Supersport World Championship Race 2 delivered plenty of action-packed racing on Sunday afternoon, as Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) stormed to victory at the Tissot Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon as he works to close in on Championship leader Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). Montella claimed the win by almost 2 seconds ahead of fellow Italian Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).

HUERTAS OFF ROSTRUM: Spaniard struggles to stay with leaders

It was an unsettled start for the WorldSSP line up, and not the perfect start for Montella in the opening stages of the race, as he went wide off the track, losing valuable positions and opening room for Manzi and Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) to pass, with Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in close contention amongst the front pack.

ONCU STARTS STRONG: Turkish rider showed promising pace

Despite his strong start in the race and leading Huertas over the line in fourth with 10 laps race distance remaining, Oncu appeared to struggle with his halfway race pace, dropping to 10th position as the #99 held onto fourth and hunted down a podium position. Navarro took control of the race with 9 laps to go and it was three riders abreast heading into turn one, as Montella worked his way back up the field, overtaking Manzi into second. The Yamaha bikes demonstrated some impressive strength in the latter stages of the race, with Debise latching onto the tail of Huertas as he chased a rostrum result.

DEBISE FOURTH: Frenchman misses out on podium

#53 rider was eager to secure a third-place finish, as he overtook Huertas with just 5 laps remaining and chased Navarro into the closing stages. The #9 Spaniard showed his strength though as he pipped Debise on the final straight and took third at the chequered flag, behind Manzi and Montella.

Coming in over the finish line in fifth was Championship leader Huertas, whilst Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) secured a top 6 result, coming in four seconds behind the race winner. German rider Marcel Schroetter rode a strong race to finish seventh ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamah) and Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in eight and ninth, whilst Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) achieved a top ten finish for Yamaha.

TWO ROUNDS REMAIN: 41 points separate

The #99 Ducati rider, Huertas remains at the top of the Championship standings, but Montella’s outstanding Race 2 result now means he is in second place with only a 41-point difference. Yamaha rider Manzi remains in the title contention with just a five-point difference to Montella.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1.907s
3. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +2.132s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +2.208s
5. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.789s
6. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) +4.078s
Fastest lap: Valentin Debise, Yamaha – 1’52.862s

Championship standings:

1. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 370 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 329
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 324
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 202
5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 188
6. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) 175

Source: WorldSBK.com

THE TITLE RACE SWINGS AGAIN: Razgatlioglu, Bulega react as title race heads to Estoril – with match point for the #54

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title race has been unpredictable in recent weeks and that theme continued at MotorLand Aragon. After Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took 79 points of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) title lead in France and Italy, it was game on during the Tissot Aragon Round. Razgatlioglu returned to action and secured three podium finishes to extend his title lead by 26 points.

STATE OF PLAY: a 39-point lead heading into Estoril…

In Saturday’s Race 1, Razgatlioglu finished second behind Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) to gain 20 points over rival Bulega after a technical issue on the warm up lap for the restarted race put him out of contention. That cost him a shot at either extending his lead or potentially reducing Razgatlioglu’s gains, with the gap standing at 33 points at the end of Saturday’s action as Razgatlioglu moved onto 385 points.

On Sunday, Bulega was able to remain in contention in both the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2. In the 10-lap race, Bulega finished in third after an epic three-way battle between him, Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) that was decided on the final lap. That enabled Bautista to close in on both Bulega and Razgatlioglu, trailing them by 51 and 86 points respectively.  With ‘El Turco’ ahead of Bulega, he extended his lead to 35 points. That went out to 39 points in Race 2, with Razgatlioglu finishing second behind Bautista while Bulega had early-race misfortune before battling back to P3.

QUICK PERMUTATIONS: it could happen at Estoril…

It means that mathematically, Razgatlioglu, Bulega and Bautista are all in title contention heading to the Circuito Estoril in two weeks. ‘El Turco’ can be crowned Champion for a second time in Portugal if he leaves 62 or more points clear of his rivals – with Razgatlioglu on 15 wins and six left, he will win any countback.

RAZGATLIOGLU’S THOUGHTS: “I’m just thinking about winning the race there…”

Talking about the Championship fight and potentially being crowned Champion in Portugal, Razgatlioglu said he was just focused on claiming victory at the Portuguese venue: “Maybe at Estoril, we could be the World Champions there; we will see. I’m just thinking about winning the race there because I love Estoril. With Yamaha, I won there. With BMW, I’m waiting for the race because I need to win there again. After many wins, second position is a little bit difficult for me!”

The 2021 Champion also reviewed his Sunday at Aragon, saying: “The Superpole Race was very fun! It was the first time I felt the bike was really good; the bike was turning and stopping, the feeling was much better. I fought with Bulega. I was very close to the win but two corners before, I lost it. Why am I very happy? We did an incredible job this weekend and I gave 100%, I was riding more than 100%.”

BULEGA SAYS: “I don’t expect team orders, I just want to do my best…”

When asked whether this weekend was a lost opportunity, Bulega said: “We were unlucky this weekend, but it wasn’t from our side. Yesterday, I lost a lot of points due to the technical issue and today I didn’t have a very good feeling with my bike. Yesterday, we didn’t do the race, so we lost a lot of information for today’s two races. In the end, it’s a podium, but we want more.”

Bulega was then asked about team orders for Estoril, where Razgatlioglu can be crowned Champion, but flat-out refuted the idea of them: “I don’t expect them, and I don’t want anything. I just want to do my best.”

Reflecting on a double podium on Sunday, Bulega said: “The start of the race was very difficult because I lost some positions with some aggressive riders at the beginning of the race. I almost touched van der Mark under braking, I had to pick up the bike, ran wide and I lost maybe 6 or 7 positions. I think I was P9. I recovered for a podium, but I lost the chance to fight for the top two positions. Alvaro and Toprak did a very good job, congratulations to them. I’ll try again next time.”

Will Estoril be the decider? Watch it all from Portugal using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

GLORY FOR GENNAI: Italian pips Mahendra in final sprint to chequered flag

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was back in action at the Tissot Aragon circuit on Sunday afternoon for the second Race of the weekend, and it was the 21-year-old Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) who took first place by a fine margin of 0.006s to Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) in second and Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) claiming third.

RACE RED FLAGGED: Gaggi and Pratama crash

A collision between Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) and Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) resulted in the race being red flagged after just 2 laps were completed. Pratama was attended to by medical professionals trackside before being transported to Hospital for further assessments by helicopter. With a 7-lap race restart, and the original grid positions being resumed, it was #1 rider Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) who took the lead into Turn 1 ahead off Brazilian Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing) and Pepe Osuna(DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team).

7-LAP DASH: Seven abreast, Iglesias penalised

With just six laps remaining of Race 2, it was seven riders abreast going into turn 1 with current Championship leader Mahendra well within the fight, battling Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) and Buis for rostrum results. A brief spell at the front of the field for Yamaha’s Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) after an impressive overtake was short lived as Mahendra fought his way back to the front. Race 1 winner Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) fell out of the top 6 contention as he was penalised with a double long lap penalty for irresponsible riding close to the pit wall on the home straight.

LITTLE TO SEPARATE THE TOP THREE: a photo finish

With the top three riders crossing the line at the final flag, it was Julio García (KOVE Racing Team) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) who took fourth and fifth, with Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) riding to an impressive top 6 result.

MAHENDRA OUT IN FRONT: #7 and #58 chasing championship leader

With just two rounds remaining in the WorldSSP300 Championship battle, Mahendra claims some vital title points as he leads with 195 points to Veneman and Iglesias.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 1, full results here:

1. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.006s
3. Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) +0.085s
4. Julio García (KOVE Racing Team) +0.131s
5. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.159s
6. Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) +0.191s
Fastest lap: Phillip Tonn, KTM – 2’05.823s

Championship standings:

1. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 195 points
2. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 179
3. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 163
4. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) 131
5. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 126
6. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) 111

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Source: WorldSBK.com