Winning the second Superbike World Championship race at Russia's Moscow Raceway on Sunday, BMW Motorrad's Marco Melandri seized the series lead from Max Biaggi, who had held it since the season opener. With 11 of 14 races now completed, Melandri leads Biaggi by 308.5 points to 290.
The first race was held under wet conditions, and Sykes was joined on the podium by Melandri and Aprilia Racing Team's Max Biaggi. In race two, Melandri was joined on the podium by Sykes and ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia's Chaz Davies.
Race 1:
Sykes scored the first ever race win at the new circuit of Moscow Raceway after a faultless display of front running at high speed. His instant takeoff from second on the grid behind pole-sitter Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) kept him away from the troubles many other top riders endured, with crashes helping Melandri to second place.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) overhauled his team-mate Laverty on the very last lap to take third place. Potential podium riders Checa, his team-mate Davide Giugliano, Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia), Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) and Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Racing Team Ducati) all crashed out, with Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) also falling but restarting to finish sixth.
Race 2:
Melandri was never under serious challenge after he eventually took the lead in the second Superbike World Championship race at Moscow Raceway, heading up race one winner Sykes by less than a second after another 25-laps of full on drama and incident.
Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia) was third after the three riders in front of him on the last lap were affected by a highside from Laverty. The Brit retired but Rea recovered from his collision with Laverty's machine, and subsequent crash, to finish seventh. The following lap, Checa was pushed off track and dropped back to finish fourth. Leon Camier was a strong fifth for the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team. ––Paul Duchene
2012 Moscow Raceway World Superbike Results, Race 1:
1. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R
2. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR +8.878
3. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +12.603
4. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 +13.027
5. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +29.582
6. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR +30.587
7. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1198R +32.170
8. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1198R +34.704
9. John Hopkins USA Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +40.366
10. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +41.143
11. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +44.363
12. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +47.813
13. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +52.650
14. Alexander Lundh SWE Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 20.273
15. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +2 laps
16. David McFadden RSA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +3 laps
17. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 23 laps completed (DNF)
18. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1198R 13 laps (DNF)
19. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 10 laps (DNF)
20. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R 2 laps (DNF)
21. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Ducati 1198R 2 laps (DNF)
2012 Moscow Raceway World Superbike Results, Race 2:
1. Marco Melandri ITA BMW Motorrad S1000RR
2. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +0.976
3. Chaz Davies GBR ParkinGO MTC Aprilia RSV-4 +4.213
4. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1098R +5.954
5. Leon Camier GBR Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +13.568
6. Davide Giugliano ITA Althea Ducati 1098R +15.173
7. Jonathan Rea GBR Honda WSBK CBR1000RR +23.125
8. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR +23.696
9. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R +23.884
10. Lorenzo Zanetti ITA PATA Ducati 1098R +24.096
11. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Ducati 1098R +24.881
12. John Hopkins USA Crescent Fixi Suzuki GSX-R1000 +39.643
13. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 01.449
14. Alexander Lundh SWE Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1m 36.596
15. Eugene Laverty IRL Aprilia Racing RSV-4 24 laps completed (DNF)
16. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing RSV-4 9 laps (DNF)
17. Leon Haslam GBR BMW Motorrad S1000RR 9 laps (DNF)
18. Niccolo Canepa ITA Red Devils Ducati 1098R 1 lap (DNF)
19. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Honda WSBK CBR1000RR 0 (DNF)
20. David McFadden RSA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 0 (DNF)
21. Michel Fabrizio ITA BMW Italia Goldbet S1000RR 0 (DNF)
