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Jonathan Rea from the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team should have been satisfied at leaving the Miller round of the Superbike World Championship in a clear third place, but his feelings immediately after the races - which he finished in 14th place after crashing and re-mounting, and then eighth in race two - were more based on what he saw as a lost opportunity.

Rea had to race with the discomfort of fresh tyre burns on his neck and chest, from a horrid-looking fall in Superpole 3 when his own machine ran him over, but he downplayed the effects on his during the races at Miller.

"Riding the bike was fine because it was all masked up, but now I have taken the bandages off and the air is getting at it," said Rea, in obvious discomfort, a couple of hours after the end of the second race.

Rea will have a chance to work with his team to get back to the kind of set-up that allowed him a double win at Assen, but his next test has been cut to one day due to being a rider much in demand by Honda.

"I only get one day of testing at Assen because I am flying back from Japan and the Suzuka 300km race. So there will be plenty of work to keep Max my team-mate going for the first day at least!"

Rea is looking to the next round at Misano, the site of his first career WSBK race win in June last year, as the perfect place to get into contention again.