Kawasaki's Fabien Foret was handed the World Supersport race win at Motorland Aragon this afternoon as race leader Sam Lowes retired on the final lap with a technical problem.
The Lincolnshire man looked set for his first win of the year after rescuing his race from disaster. Lowes was in front from the off but ran off track on lap seven and then had to fight back through the pack.
His mistake gave a three-second lead to Scotsman Kev Coghlan who took off but then crashed not long after and Foret, who got an awful start, was given the top spot as Lowes set fastet lap after fastest lap to claw his way back.
He re-took the lead with six laps left but couldn't break Foret, who went past across the line on the final lap. Lowes then slowed into the first two corners and eventually pulled off track at the end of the back straight.
Pata Honda's Michael Van Der Mark took his second podium spot of the year with Luca Scassa in third and Andrea Antonelli in fourth.
Irishman Jack Kennedy hauled his way from mid-pack in qualifying up to seventh place while Coghlan managed to re-mount and got points for 13th place. Christian Iddon also retired early on as did reigning champion Kenan Sofuoglu.
Foret takes charge at the top of the points table with Van Der Mark second and Scassa third. Lowes slips to sixth with Kennedy eighth. Sofuoglu is fourth.