Melandri and Biaggi swap wins again

From the WSBK Pressoffice

Just like the previous round at Motorland Aragon, Marco Melandri?(Yamaha World Superbike Team) and Max Biaggi?(Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team)?swapped World Superbike Championship wins and second places at another hot race circuit, as Melandri won race one and Biaggi won race two at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday.

In taking a hard fought victory, Biaggi continued his amazing relationship with Brno, posting his 11th career win in world championship events at this 5.403km long venue.

"It's been very tough all weekend," Biaggi admitted. "Carlos and Marco were very fast, but here we are again with the top three on the podium. In this way we're having ups and downs, winning one race and second in the other.

In race one I wasn't really happy, I knew I could do it, but I didn't have the moment and Marco went on to win. This time I could reply and do my pace. We made a few changes between the races but not very much. You can always learn from the details, we made the right adjustments but here it's very difficult for tire wear and temperature."

"I didn't give up but it was too difficult like in Aragon," Melandri explained after the second race. "I tried to do my best but Max was faster. Anyway it's been a good day, we still have to do a bit more to get the double, but I'm happy. Max and I have had some nice battles in the last two rounds, very fair and clean so that's good. It was fun for us and hopefully fun for the people watching the race in the circuit and on TV."

Points leader Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) battled to two gritty third place finishes at Brno, minimizing the damage to his championship lead despite being outgunned by the riders closest to him in the points tally.

"You always think that you can do better so you always attack to improve the result, but today considering the conditions, the rivals, the track and the speed we are quite satisfied," Checa said. "We worked well to find the right set-up, chose the right tires, we didn't make any mistake. Max and Marco were strong around here and they deserved the win. Most important, we are competitive and fast and still leading the championship. It's not easy but we are confident we can get the better of them at some circuits."

Michel Fabrizio?(Suzuki Alstare) is another who loves Brno and he showed it on Sunday by taking two top four rides, with Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike) fifth on two occasions.

The win tallies for the year now read Checa with eight, Melandri three, Biaggi and Laverty two each and the still injured Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) one.

Ayrton Badovini?(BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team)?once again played the fastest game for BMW, sixth in each race. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team)?had two superb fight backs from a starting position of 19th, going ninth in race one and eighth in race two, making him the top Kawasaki finisher.

Leon Haslam?(BMW Motorrad Motorsport)?flew solo for the official team this weekend and toughed it out, taking home points for eighth and seventh.

Home rider Jakub Smrz (Effenbert - Liberty Racing Ducati) who was 11th in race one, fell in race two.

Melandri took his third win of the year to lead his championship rivals Biaggi and Checa across the line in race one. The top three were covered by only 0.436 seconds after 20 hot laps, with track temperatures reaching 44�C, and which only got hotter in race two.

At one stage Fabrizio looked capable of catching the leading trio, but he slowed to take a safe and yet still impressive fourth. Laverty went from the front row to fifth. The man most on the move in the race was Badovini as he passed several riders to get up to sixth. Biaggi's team-mate Camier took seventh, with Haslam eighth.

Biaggi and Melandri ended up deciding the race two result in a man-to-man duel, which went the way of the 2010 world champion. The margin of victory was only 0.222 seconds, with Melandri right behind his countryman but unable to pass Biaggi on the final few corners.

Checa was in a clear third place, with Fabrizio having a good race again and finishing fourth. Laverty could not catch the top quartet, but was safe in a lonely fifth.

Once again Badovini impressed the paddock with his prowess and he took sixth place, one ahead of official rider Haslam.

Track temperatures in race two hit a massive 54�C.

Gino Rea (Step Racing Team) won his first ever World Supersport race after the red flag was shown on lap 16 with Rea in a lead that he had held for some time.

Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was a close second, with championship leader Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) third. David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) collected fourth place ahead of Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service R.T. Yamaha).

Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) slowed after a good start and finished sixth, one place up on Luca Scassa?(Yamaha ParkinGO).

Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com) crashed out while in the leading group, leaving the championship points Davies on 121, Parkes on 85, Foret on 85, Salom on 84 and Scassa on 79.

Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) won a closely contested 12-lap Superstock 1000 race at Brno as he fought off the race long challenge of championship leader Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati). The margin of victory was 0.070 seconds and the battle for third was almost as close, with Lorenzo Zanetti?(BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) just 0.7 behind Barrier, but with Markus Reiterberger?(Garnier Alpha Racing Team) right in his own wheel tracks.

In the championship itself, Giugliano now has 115 points, Zanetti 84, and Danilo Petrucci (who fell from his Barni Racing Ducati while leading) has 69. Barrier, who won his first race of the year on Sunday, is fourth, with 65 points.

Superbike Race One Results
1. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 40:23.699 (160.505km/h)
2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +0.241
3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R +0.436
4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +8.448
5. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF-R1 +11.863
6. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000RR +16.374
7. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +20.075
8. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +21.399
9. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R +21.555
10. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R +22.33
11. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R +22.494
12. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +24.710
13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +27.958
14. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +31.724
15. Lowes A. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +31.998
16. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +34.771
etc.
Pirelli BEST LAP Award: Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike), 2:00.118 (Lap 3)

Superbike Race Two Results
1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 40:21.646 (160.641km/h)
2. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.222
3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R +3.558
4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +7.863
5. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF-R1 +8.534
6. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000RR +18.085
7. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000RR +21.650
8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R +21.862
9. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R +25.306
10. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +27.366
11. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +33.716
12. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R +36.549
13. Lanzi L. (ITA) BMW S1000RR +37.468
14. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R +46.878
15. Kispataki V. (HUN) Honda CBR1000RR +1:38.074
RET Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R
etc.
Pirelli BEST LAP Award: Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike), 2:00.058 (Lap 2)

World Superbike Point Standings
(after 8 of 13 rounds)
1. Checa 293
2. Biaggi 263
3. Melandri 240
4. Laverty 168
5. Haslam 137
6. Camier 134
7. Fabrizio 134
8. Badovini 106
9. Haga 99
10. Rea 94
11. Guintoli 89
12. Smrz 88
13. Lascorz 88
14. Sykes 84
15. Corser 55
16. Xaus 44
etc.

Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/ZNmEaOb1S2C/Melandri+Biaggi+swap+wins+again

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