WSBK: Landslide During Race 1 at Valencia

World Superbike headed to Valencia, Spain this weekend for the third round of the WSBK season. With a strong Superpole by Cal Crutchlow, all eyes were on the Sterilgarda Yamaha to see if a surprise victory would occur. With the Championship heating up as riders are vetted into place, Valenica would prove to be a battlefield this weekend with more than one rider firing a warning shot across the proverbial bows of their competitors, signaling their intention to compete.

Taking his second win of the season, it was the Alstare Suzuki of Leon Haslam that would grace the first podium at Valencia. Haslam rode a great pace in Race 1, pulling almost a two second lead over second place finisher Max Biaggi. Biaggi had a strong Superpole result, but after five laps of the first race, the Italian rider was forced to watch the Brit take the lead and pull away from his Aprilia RSV4.

Finishing on the third step of the podium was James Toseland, who found himself over a second and a half behind Biaggi. This result, though a disappointment, was a validation of Toseland’s abilities as the Brit hasn’t been dominating the field like a former WSBK Champion and MotoGP rider is expected to do.

Notably runnings included the 4th place finish of the Troy Corser and his BMW S1000RR, which was closely followed by Noriyuki Haga. Haga has been a venerable no-show this season to-date, as the entire factory Ducati team seems to be off its mark from last year. We’re not sure what that could be due to.

World Superbike Highlights from Race 1 at Valencia, Spain:

Results from Race 1 of World Superbike at Valencia, Spain: