Christian Iddon put in a measured performance befitting his experience in the British Superbike Championship to claim a pole-to-flag victory in damp conditions at Assen.
The AJN Steelstock Kawasaki rider had shown race-winning pace in the wet during Saturday's first Assen BSB race but a mistake while hunting down leader Scott Redding would consign him to an eventual fifth place finish.
However, the flip side of that performance was a fastest race lap that earned him pole position for Race 2, which he fully capitalised on to claim his first victory since joining the FS-3 Racing-run squad.
Held in wet but manageable conditions, Iddon got the jump from the start to lead into Turn 1 whereby he proceeded to repel the efforts first of Bradley Ray and then later Rory Skinner to hold on to the flag.
Also a first win for 'Team Green' in a season that has seen Iddon in particular shine on the ageing Kawasaki ZX-10RR package, it also helps to consolidate the Stockport rider's top five placing in the overall standings.
Despite missing out on the win, Skinner's run to second place represented a superb effort for a rider that only started 18th after a tumultuous Race 1.
However, the ex-Moto2 rider made rapid early gains to scythe his way up to third place by lap five before using a brief mid-race shower as the opportunity to get the better of a more cautious Ray for second place.
In terms of the BSB title battle, Ray pulled back substantial ground on Kyle Ryde with his run to third place, with his rival only managing eighth at the finish.
Indeed, Ray was able to get up to speed quickly to run inside the top three throughout the race, while Ryde ran as low as 12th for much of the morning. However, with the track beginning to dry in the closing laps, Ryde would find his speed once more, making swift progress back up the order to cross the line in eighth.
With one race to go today, Ray has closed the gap to Ryde down to 25 points.
Elsewhere, Tommy Bridewell came from a long way back to complete his race in fourth place, the 2023 BSB Champion getting the better late on of Leon Haslam, who at one stage looked capable of getting in the podium fight before a leery moment on lap 13 prompted him to back off and protect his points.
Charlie Nesbitt completed another solid result en route to sixth, ahead of Fraser Rogers, who bounced back from his crash out of a potential podium in Race 1 with seventh place.
Ryde in eighth will take heart from his late race pace if Race 3 goes on to be held in dry conditions after the Nitrous Competitions Yamaha rider picked off Storm Stacey and John McPhee in the final couple of laps.
Outside the top ten, Max Cook's form faded late on as he slipped from a high of third place to an eventual 11th, ahead of Scott Swann, Race 1 podium winner Danny Kent and Lee Jackson.
The 15th and final point, meanwhile, went to Race 1 winner Scott Redding, who endured a torrid race in a complete turnaround from his performance on Saturday. Dropping from second on the grid to 20th in just two laps, it was only in the closing stages that he began to make headway to snatch the final point.
2025 British Superbike Championship [BSB] | Assen | Race 1 Results | Round 9 of 11 | |||||
Pos. | Rider | Nat. | Team | Motorcycle | Gap |
1 | Christian Iddon | GBR | AJN Steelstock Kawasaki | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 18 Laps |
2 | Rory Skinner | GBR | Cheshire Mouldings TAS Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +1.241 |
3 | Bradley Ray | GBR | Raceways Yamaha | Yamaha R1 | +2.848 |
4 | Tommy Bridewell | GBR | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +4.963 |
5 | Leon Haslam | GBR | Moto Rapido Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +7.278 |
6 | Charlie Nesbitt | GBR | MasterMac Honda | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +9.973 |
7 | Fraser Rogers | GBR | TAG Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +10.776 |
8 | Kyle Ryde | GBR | Nitrous Competitions Racing | Yamaha R1 | +11.195 |
9 | Storm Stacey | GBR | Bathams AJN Racing | BMW M 1000 RR | +11.372 |
10 | John McPhee | GBR | MasterMac Honda | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +19.676 |
11 | Max Cook | GBR | AJN Steelstock Kawasaki | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +19.698 |
12 | Scott Swann | GBR | Send My Bag Racing by IWR | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +26.779 |
13 | Danny Kent | GBR | McAMS Yamaha | Yamaha R1 | +34.005 |
14 | Lee Jackson | GBR | DAO Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +45.434 |
15 | Scott Redding | GBR | Hager PBM | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +48.034 |
16 | Josh Brookes | AUS | DAO Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +48.179 |
17 | Glenn Irwin | GBR | Nitrous Competitions Racing | Yamaha R1 | +48.207 |
18 | Jaimie van Sikkelerus | NED | TAG Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +49.705 |
19 | Peter Hickman | GBR | LEW 8TEN Racing | BMW M 1000 RR | +1m 00.964 |
20 | Richard Kerr | IRL | ROKiT BMW Motorrad | BMW M 1000 RR | +1m 05.923 |
21 | Wayne Tessels | NED | Druijff Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +1m 08.918 |
22 | Blaze Baker | ZAF | NP Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +1 Lap |
23 | Jamie Davis | GBR | Whitecliffe CDH Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +1 Lap |
DNF | Davey Todd | GBR | LEW 8TEN Racing | BMW M 1000 RR | |
DNS | Luke Hedger | GBR | Whitecliffe CDH Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R |