Alitalia Aprilia's Max Biaggi has turned the tables on Brno World Superbike race one winner Marco Melandri in today's second encounter at Brno, beating his Italian compatriot to the chequered flag with Carlos Checa bagging another third place in the Czech Republic.
As with the first outing this morning, the race win was only ever between Biaggi and Melandri as Checa again couldn't quite live with their pace but still has a 30-point championship lead over Biaggi who is, in turn, 23 ahead of the Yamaha man.
Biaggi led away from the lights with Eugene Laverty, Melandri and Checa in close attendance but it wasn't long before the championship leaders made a break for it leaving the Irishman to fall into the clutches of Michel Fabrizio in carbon copy of race one.
Melandri grabbed the lead into turn one with 13 to go but Biaggi was straight back in front and stayed there for two laps before Melandri nabbed the lead again, sliding under the Aprilia into turn one and staying there for a coupe of circuits.
With nine left, Biaggi was back in front where he stayed until the penultimate lap as Melandri clawed his way past into turn three but Biaggi wasn't to be denied and returned to the front to take the full 25 point haul with Checa some four seconds in arrears.
Again, Fabrizio just held off Laverty for fourth place while Ayrton Badovini took his satellite BMW to sixth ahead of Leon Haslam's factory S1000RR who, like race one, just kept ahead of Joan Lascorz's PBM Kawasaki. Sylvain Guintoli rounds out the top ten.
The second PBM Kawasaki of Tom Sykes once again faded as the laps clicked down. The Huddersfield youngster was running in the top six early on but what must be tyre problems saw him slip back to 14th, two places behind the satellite Pedercini Kawasaki of Mark Aitchison.
Leon Camier had an awful second race, slipping to 14th in the space of a few laps before crashing out with eight laps to go. He will no doubt be in meetings with Gigi Dall'Igna right now. Alex Lowes also crashed unhurt.
Championship points:
Carlos Checa 293
Max Biaggi 263
Marco Melandri 240
Eugene Laverty 168
Leon Haslam 137
