Althea Ducati's Carlos Checa ruined Sylvain Guintoli's debut win opportunity in the first World Superbike race at Portimao this afternoon, hunting down the Frenchman at the rate of half a second a lap to take the lead with three laps left.
Guintoli looked set to bag his first ever WSB victory as he gapped Jonathan Rea, Marco Melandri and Checa in the early stages and then extended his lead to more than two seconds. It took Checa until half distance to pass Melandri and Rea before he set off in pursuit of his former MotoGP colleague.
Checa's pace was such, however, that even on a 20-lap-old tyre, he was able to cross the line nearly three seconds ahead of the Liberty Ducati man who took the runner-up spot for his third podium result of the season, adding to his Germany and America rostrums.
Castrol Honda's Rea was a further six seconds back of the Ducati pair but far enough in front to hold off a marauding Max Biaggi. The former world champion came from the back of the pack to pass bitter rival Melandri with three laps remaining and was fast enough to put five seconds on his fellow Italian.
Melandri clearly had rear tyre problems as the PBM Kawasaki of Joan Lascorz also moved past the championship runner up while Supersonic Ducati's Maxine Berger rode a blinder, cutting through the likes of Smrz, Sykes and Haslam is as many corners to bag seventh.
Sykes, on the second PBM bike, started well as usual but then slipped back down the order to battle with Haslam and just got the better of his former British Superbike rival. Smrz rounded out the top ten.
Leon Camier had a nightmare first few laps, running on into turn one and re-joining the track dead last. He scythed his way back into 12th place, just behind Michel Fabrizio. Eugene Laverty had a brown-leathers moment when he braked so hard, he broke a steering damper bolt and was lucky not to run into his Yamaha team-mate as bike veered sharply to the right. He pitted in and then re-joined to finish 19th.
