Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden bagged his first World Superbike podium today in the opening race at Assen by playing safe and not taking any risks in the final laps.
Hayden was right behind Honda Racing team-mate Michael Van Der Mark when he went down on the penultimate lap and a couple of slides on laps previous gave the American all the warning he needed.
“The start of the race was really intense, because we had such little dry track-time – basically two laps on race tyres in Superpole 2 – and so we didn’t know what to expect. I got a great start and was able to stay with the leading group of riders, although they were quite fast and every time I tried to relax, I could see a little gap opening in front of me,” said Hayden.
“Towards the end, I started to feel more comfortable with the bike and conditions, so I thought I could find something extra in the final two laps. Just after Michael’s crash I had a moment at turn five, so I thought it was better to ride home in third. It’s my maiden WorldSBK podium and the first one in a long time, so I want to thank the team for the great work. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can put up a better fight.
