Parkalgar Honda's Eugene Laverty roughed his way to a second World Supersport win at Assen this afternoon ahead of Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow and Kawasaki's Joan Lascorz.
In a race that vies with last year's 15-bike epic, and one that champions the cause of the 'old' circuits, Laverty nicked the lead from Lascorz going into the chicane on the very last lap with Crutchlow following him through, leaving the Spaniard to take the last podium spot.
Crutchlow got an appalling start from his pole position and found himself back in tenth place while Kenan Sofuoglu, Laverty, Lascorz and Pitt made the break and got themselves into a dice for the lead.
Laverty settled into fourth place as Pitt and Lascorz pushed past Sofuoglu on lap three, with the Irish youngster also passing the Turk into turn one a lap later. Lascorz and Laverty then pushed past Pitt as Crutchlow got himself into sixth.
With 16 laps to go, Laverty took the lead, diving under Lascorz into turn one but two laps later, he ran wide onto the Astroturf and had to knock off the trottle, which demoted him back to fourth.
Crutchlow, meanwhile, was obviously trying very hard and also found himself in the dirt, as did Stiggy Honda's Anthony West on the same lap. With 12 laps to go, Laverty got past Pitt and then once again past Lascorz.
The race then descended into mayhem with four bikes fighting for the lead. Crutchlow tried to get past team-mate Fabien Foret, the pair went wide, Pitt lost the front of his CBR600 in the melee and his hand was run over. Fortunately, it was only bruised but has Cal Crutchlow's front tyre mark on it.
Laverty and Lascorz then made a break but Crutchlow recovered, got his head down, made up a second in two laps and was challenging for the lead with three laps to do. The Yamaha man then tried to get inside Laverty but it was a pass too far as Crutchlow found himself out of the seat.
Somehow he recovered again to shadow Laverty into the final chicane and, as the Irishman squeezed underneath Lascorz for the lead and win, Crutchlow followed him through the take the second podium spot.
