Former MotoGP rider Chris Burns bagged his first Dutch Superbike podium at Assen on Sunday after a race-long battle saw him nick third place before trying to catch the runaway leaders.

The result comes after weeks of hard work by the Dutch squad, who had fitted a new engine, suspension, exhaust and electronics to the CBR1000RR after the last race at Spa-Francorchamps last month.

Burns had started Sunday’s race at the famous track from fifth on the grid, and got one of his trademark quick getaways as the lights turned green.  As the pack poured down towards the first corner, Burns found himself almost level with leader Arie Vos on the BMW.

 “I was level with Arie as we got to the end of the straight but he just got it under braking,” he said. “I was holding second for a few corners but then on the fifth or sixth I missed my gearing, and went through in third instead of second," said the Newcastle man.

“This gave the guys behind me all they needed and four bikes went through. It was my own mistake and I was sixth at the end of the first lap. I knew I had some work to do, so I just had to get on with it.”

Burns clawed back two places within a couple of laps, and then set his sights on the bike in third place. “I was getting closer and closer to him but then he just out-braked himself on the straight and ran off.

“I was kind of gifted third, but I had worked hard to get back up there, so I was more than happy to take it. After that I tried to catch the two guys ahead, and at the end I finished about half a second behind Raymond Schouten who was second, and four seconds off Vos, who won it.

“I went to Assen chasing a top four, so to get top three is just fantastic. I’ve got to thank everyone in the team for working so hard to give me a bike that’s capable of fighting up at the front.”