Kenan Sofuoglu clinched his third World Supersport win of the season at Imola on Sunday, maintaining his 100% victory run since first racing on European soil this year.

Earlier in the week, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team confirmed that Sofuoglu would compete at Imola before hurriedly returning to his native Turkey where newly-born son Hamza remains in hospital and in a critical condition.

“Today the race was not easy,” the three-time World Supersport Champion said following another battle with Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). “I was not prepared in my conditioning and last week I did not sleep well. On the other side of the story, I was strong because I know how difficult it was to come here. For that reason, inside me, I came here for a win.

“I think this race was very hard because Cluzel was strong, more than I expected, but I told myself that, if I was here, I was here to win. I was not going to accept second, not today. There will be days when I have to, but not today. I am happy to have taken 25 points and now I will go straight back to Turkey.”

The result leaves Sofuoglu – the World Supersport title winner of 2007, 2010 and 2012 – with a 37-point advantage over P.J. Jacobsen, with Cluzel a further three in arrears. Eight round remains, starting with Donington Park on Sunday 24 May.