Jonathan Rea extended his World Superbike championship lead to 61 points at Misano after beating Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes with a mature performance.
The Ulsterman had his team-mate in tow for the full 22-lap race but was not headed once, as the duo secured Kawasaki’s fifth 1-2 finish of the season.
Michael Van Der Mark made the podium for Honda, his first time on the rostrum since Assen and incredibly those Dutch races were the last time the race winner had tasted victory too.
Rea looked confident throughout much of the race, though Sykes worked him hard for the 25 points despite never making a true passing move once, such is the difficult overtaking nature of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
The opening laps perhaps worked out fortuitous for the pair, as while Rea took the holeshot into Turn 1 with Sykes following a calamity developed in behind.
Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores made a tough move down the inside of Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori, knocking the Italian off and forcing the charging pair of Chaz Davies and Leon Camier onto the gravel.
Aruba.it Ducati’s Davies was 20th after lap one, but the Welshman made a stunning voyage through the pack as the race wore on and at one point, once passing Althea BMW’s Jordi Torres for fourth, it looked as though the podium was within his grasp.
Unfortunately for Davies it was not to be, although his fourth place was much better than team-mate Davide Giugliano who suffered an early crash at Turn 14, sliding out only to remount and get the Panigale home in 14th.
Honda’s Nicky Hayden was another of those expected to be in the podium hunt who tipped out early in the race, the American crashing out at Turn 16 and he was joined later on the retirements list by Fores and Milwaukee BMW’s Karel Abraham.
Althea BMW enjoyed a fine finish at Misano, Torres taking fifth ahead of his team-mate Markus Reiterberger while Niccolo Canepa gave Pata Yamaha a much-needed boost in seventh.
Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes had less luck at Misano, after a terrific opening saw him running fourth and in the mix, he soon went backwards and the Lincolnshire rider could only gain 13th at the chequered flag.
MV Agusta’s Leon Camier, caught up in the same incident as Davies, did excellently to fight his way back through to take eighth, ahead of Roman Ramos and Anthony West.
Josh Brookes scored a fine result, given the circumstances, on the Milwaukee BMW as he took the S1000RR into 11th place.
