Cluzel coolly holds off Caricasulo for Donington WorldSSP win

Jules Cluzel secured his second World Supersport Championship win of the season with a battling performance against Federico Caricasulo and Lucas Mahias at Donington Park.

The Frenchman battled his way to the front of the field in the latter stages of an entertaining three-way dice for glory, building up to a final lap crescendo in which Caricasulo dives for victory at the Melbourne Loop.

However, Cluzel was wise to the attack, allowing Caricasulo to slip through before cutting back up the inside and re-taking the lead with a corner remaining.

The GMT 94 Yamaha rider’s first victory since round two in Thailand, it is also the first time since his success in Chang that a non-BARDAHL Evan Bros. Yamaha rider has triumphed.

Caricasulo held onto second place, with former champion Mahias settling for third having led for much of the race on the comparatively unfancied Puccetti Kawasaki.

Randy Krummenacher battled back from his lowly 11th on the grid for a hard-fought fourth place, the Swiss rider just getting onto the tail of the lead fight but running out of laps to make an impression. In the overall standings he continues to lead on 173, with Caricasulo 25 points adrift in second. Cluzel’s win boosts his slim hopes on 132 points.

Raffaele de Rosa flew the flag for MV Agusta in fifth place, ahead of Thomas Gradinger and top wild-card Jack Kennedy, with Corentin Perolari, Brad Jones and Ayrton Badovini completing the top ten.

The World Supersport Championship doesn’t travel to next weekend’s Laguna Seca WorldSBK so now heads into its summer break and won’t resume action until September at Portimao.