After winning the opening round of the 2015 FIM Supersport Championship, Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had to wait six more races before returning to the top of the podium. The 26-year-old from Montlucon, France, was finally able to get the better of arch rival Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at the end of an intense and enthralling final lap of the WSS encounter at Portimao’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

With his ninth career win, the two-time World Supersport runner-up (2012 and 2014) narrowed the gap to the lead down to 40 points, a still significant deficit with only five races to go in the season.

“I’m really satisfied!” said an ecstatic Cluzel. “I made a good start and tried to stretch my lead, just to see what would have happened. I soon realised it was impossible to pull away; in these type of situations it’s much easier to close the gap from second place. Halfway through the race the grip went down a little bit and made my life a bit difficult, so I decided to simply try and understand what I could and couldn’t do at the end of the race. In the final three or four laps I felt strong and comfortable again.

“I knew where I was stronger than him and vice versa and that helped me prepare my last lap. The battle heated up even more than in Assen as we exchanged positions in Turn 1. Kenan was very hot into Turn 3 and we were lucky not to collide and crash; we both made it out of the corner and we started again. I enjoyed the last few corners as I braked really hard, closed the door and tried to be as quick as I could. When I was halfway into the last turn I realised I had won the race!”