Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes left the World Superbike race weekend a very happy man, with a second and a third place finishes, and a new circuit record in Monza. The Huddersfield lad could not have worked any harder and is pleased with the progress he made on the Italian track today.

Sykes was so close to the win in the first race that the gap at the flag was only 0.085 seconds and he was delighted to be able to race hard right to the end on his Ninja ZX-10R. A last lap manoeuvre on an inside line at the Parabolica final corner took him past Aprilia's Eugene Laverty but not quite to the win itself. But even though he didn’t take the victory he clocked a new lap record of 1’42.229.

In race two he had to fight hard all the way and scored a third place, only 0.725 seconds from the win. The Englishman is now third in the championship with 119 points, 18 points off the lead.

“Today I put it all out there for everybody to see. I could not give any more. Race one was a great race, a great battle although I was like a sitting duck at the back for a time. I was waiting to see where those guys were strong, and they had some speed, so I used that to my advantage and it led to a very exciting last lap,” said Sykes.

“I tried to lead after lap fifteen and pull a gap but it was not to be, because they reeled me straight back in. The last lap was great, it was almost a third to first run from the last corner, but I did not want to do anything stupid, so to have the Kawasaki working like that here makes me very motivated. Monza was going to be one of the most challenging circuits we would visit this season but we have come away with pole position, a new circuit record, a lap record and two podiums, so I am happy.”