ALL ITALIAN VICTORY IN RACE 1 AND PODIUM IN RACE 2 IN SPAIN.

RANKING LEADER MAX BIAGGI RIDES A BRILLIANT RACE 1 AND FINISHES JUST SHORT OF THE PODIUM IN RACE 2.

SECOND PLACE FOR EUGENE LAVERTY IN RACE 2 AFTER FIFTH PLACE IN THE FIRST.

Aragon, 1 July 2012 – The two Superbike races in Aragon Motorland resulted in good spoils for Aprilia Racing. An exciting Race 1, with Max Biaggi taking victory after a heated battle with Melandri, opened up the show for this World Superbike Spanish Sunday.

Getting off to a great start from the second spot on the starting grid, Max set a pace on the track which none of the other rivals except Melandri were able to maintain. From the halfway point of the race on positions were inverted frequently without either of the contenders leaving a gap behind the front runner. A perfect overtake by Max two laps from the end put an end to the competition: the rider of the Aprilia RSV4 with the unmistakeable number 3 on the fairing earned an advantage which was sufficient for him to cross the finish line first.

In Race 2 four riders fought the battle for victory. Melandri and Biaggi were joined by Laverty and Davies, launching a battle which ended with Max in fourth place, just short of the podium. The Corsair maintains the lead in the rider rankings, 48 points in front of Melandri and 65.5 ahead of Rea.

“We certainly didn’t hold anything back – commented Max Biaggi right after the race – we were basically all in the same conditions, so there was no way to make the difference. I really had to give 100%, especially after the halfway point when the tyres started to lose grip and I had to be careful not to make any mistakes. After overtaking the last time in Race 1, the decisive overtake, I gained a few metres advantage and managed to win”.

 It was a positive Sunday for Eugene Laverty as well, with victory in Race 2 just out of reach, having to settle for second place. The Northern Irish rider, after complaining of a lack of grip in the first race, was able to improve enough to aim for victory in the second. Just 42 thousandths of a second separated him from the top step of the podium, a result which leaves Eugene quite satisfied.

Laverty’s words confirm this: “I came here with the goal of getting on the podium and I achieved that. It was a shame for Race 1. I didn’t have the grip to keep up with the lead pack and I finished fifth. Before the second race we made some changes that allowed me to ride significantly better, even enough to get out in front. In the last lap Marco overtook me where I didn’t expect it, but second place is still an excellent result that lets me leave the difficulties of the last few rounds behind me”.

Race One

1. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 39m 59.200s
2. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +0.042s
3. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 +0.446s 
4. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +0.484s
5. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +6.611s 
6. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR +7.491s 
7. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R +9.325s 
8. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +10.444s 
9. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +10.828s
10. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R +10.925s 
11. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +21.955s 
12. Maxime Berger FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +22.046s 
13. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +22.486s 
14. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R +42.801s 
15. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +49.144s

16. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +50.961s 
17. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R +1m 00.863s 
18. Leandro Mercado ARG Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 14.149s 
19. Norino Brignola ITA Grillini Progea BMW S1000RR +1m 53.388s 
20. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +1 lap

Not Classified

21. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 17 laps completed
22. John Hopkins USA Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 3 laps completed

DNS Jakub Smrz CZE Liberty Effenbert Ducati 1098R 

Fastest lap
Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR 1m 58.950s