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Guintoli wins World Championship by 6 points after Qatari double victory

Sunday, 2 November 2014 19:41 GMT

Double victory gives the Frenchman and Aprilia the World Championship.

 

Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) is the 2014 eni FIM Superbike World Champion after a nailbiting season final race held under floodlights at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar.

The race began with Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) colliding at turn one, with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) heading the pack.

Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) took over the reigns as race leader before he was overhauled by race one winner Guintoli, the Frenchman setting a new lap record as he took the first double victory of his career to seal the World title by 6 points!

Sykes and Rea battled race long to determine the final spots on the podium with the Honda rider just edging the outgoing champion for second in final 3 laps.

Five riders fought hard for 4th with Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) coming home ahead of Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) and Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia).

Newly crowned Superbike EVO winner David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) was once again involved in a titanic fight for the best classified EVO rider coming home ahead of Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) in 11th, Canepa was 12th. Bryan Staring (Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki) rode well to claim the 3rd EVO placing in a credible 13th overall.

Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki), Aaron Yates (Team Hero EBR) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia)

In the final standings Jonathan Rea finished 3rd, 1 point ahead of Melandri.