Reigning champion Carlos Checa laid down a significant World Superbike Championship marker by claiming a double victory at Monza to move to the head of the standings after Round Two.
However, the BMW Motorrad team of Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri are fourth and fifth in the standing, with Haslam taking two third place podium finishes in the Imola races. Melandri finished sixth in Race One and 10th in Race Two.
Ducati-mounted Checa claimed five double victories, including one at Monza, on his way to the 2011 title and his victories at Monza mean he retook the lead from Max Biaggi by four points.
Pole-sitter Tom Sykes stormed into the lead early on, but the Spaniard and his Italian machinery gradually hauled in his Kawaski Racing rival with seven laps remaining to send the Italian crowd wild. Sykes again held off fellow Brit Leon Haslam to take second with "the Pocket Rocket" bagging his second third-place finish of the day.
Sykes’ third podium finish of the season leaves him third in the standings with Biaggi – who again could only end fourth – dropping down to second behind Checa. The only change to the top five came with an impressive ride from Jonathan Rea who fought his way to fifth, replacing Eugene Laverty, who dropped down a spot to sixth.
Earlier, Checa used all of his 39 years of experience to edge out pole-sitter Sykes to take the win in the first race of Round Two. Having put his Kawasaki on pole, Sykes looked well set to claim his second World Superbike win ever, leading for much of the first half of the race.
However it was 2011 overall champion Checa who made his move on lap 12 and held on for his second win from the opening three races this time round. Kawasaki Racing’s Sykes held onto second, bagging his second podium finish to leave him third in the overall standings.
BMW-mounted Haslam was in fine form in Italy, completing the podium just a month after sustaining a broken leg at the opening round at Phillip Island. Home favourite Biaggi struggled to control his Aprilia and finished just off the podium in fourth but the 13 points garnered means the Italian leads the overall standings from Checa.
Biaggi looked set to claim third heading into the final stages but an impressive Haslam had enough to edge the Roman Emperor into fourth while Laverty was fifth and Marco Melandri sixth. ––Paul Duchene
Race two results
1. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R
2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1.935
3. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR +2.969
4. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +3.346
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR +18.925
6. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +21.180
7. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R +21.392
8. Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +23.797
9. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R +24.219
10. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR +25.599
11. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R +25.776
12. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R +26.004
13. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R +31.172
14. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +33.837
15. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR +45.541
16. Brett McCormick (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R +50.807
17. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R +51.083
18. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR +57.833
Race one results
1. Carlos Checa Spain Althea Ducati 1098R
2. Tom Sykes Great Brtain Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +3.206s
3. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR +5.593s
4. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +6.519s
5. Eugene Laverty Ireland Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +24.662s
6. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR +27.261s
7. Joan Lascorz ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +27.384s
8. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R +28.299s
9. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +34.067s
10. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R +35.724s
11. Jakub Smrz Czech Republic Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +36.738s
12. Maxime Berger France Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +37.257s
13. John Hopkins United States Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +50.418s
14. Leandro Mercado Argentina Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +53.623s
15. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +53.842s
16. Brett McCormick Canada Effenbert Liberty Ducati 1098R +54.139s
17. Mark Aitchison Australia Grillini Progea BMW S1000RR +57.944s
18. Hiroshi Aoyama Japan Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +1m 06.233s
19. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +5 laps
2012 WSB Standings after Round 2
1 Carlos CHECA ESP 75
2 Max BIAGGI ITA 71 -4
3 Tom SYKES GBR 69 -6
4 Leon HASLAM GBR 47 -28
5 Marco MELANDRI ITA 46 -29
6 Jonathan REA GBR 40 -35
7 Jakub SMRZ CZE 30 -45
8 Eugene LAVERTY IRL 29 -46
9 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA 21 -54
10 Maxime BERGER FRA 20 -55
11 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA 18 -57
12 Joan LASCORZ ESP 17 -58
13 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN 15 -60
14 Leon CAMIER GBR 12 -63
15 Niccolò CANEPA ITA 12 -63
16 Michel FABRIZIO ITA 10 -65
17 Davide GIUGLIANO ITA 10 -65
18 Bryan STARING AUS 6 -69
19 John HOPKINS USA 3 -72
20 Chaz DAVIES GBR 2 -73
21 Leandro MERCADO ARG 2 -73
22 David SALOM ESP 2 -73
23 Ayrton BADOVINI ITA 2 -73
24 Joshua BROOKES AUS 1 -74
