<blockquote class="
The Road to Redemption
Tom Sykes is a man on the move, but it wasn't too long ago that he was on the tip of everyone's tongue for the wrong reasons. In Monza the Kawasaki ZX-10R pilot rode the wheels off his green machine to finish ahead of title rival Sylvain Guintoli and claim the final podium spot of the weekend. Unfortunately for Sykes his last lap pass saw him skate by Guintoli and unable to make the next corner. Sykes battled for control of his machine and literallyo wrestled it back onto the track before the next bend, blocking Guintoli and cementing his podium spot. After missing the champoinship crown by only half a point in 2012 it easy to see why Sykes would ride so passionately; more than perhaps any other rider on the grid he understands just how important every point can be. Tom then backed up the podium finish with a double win on home soil at Donnington - Kawasaki's first podium and first double at the venue in well over a decade. Having slashed Guintoli's points lead only 4 while keeping next-in-line Laverty to a 20 point deficit, Sykes heads into Portimao with a deserved sense of confidence about his position in the championship. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Monza is far from resolved, the issue now residing with the FIM's internation court. The on-site race direction played hot potato with the standings, first awarding Guintoli third place then reversing their decision to re-instate Sykes. The court could uphold the original decision, or they may even go further to impose an x second penalty on Sykes in place of a ride-through. Or they may do nothing. With such uncertainty hanging over that race result, Sykes' best course of action will be to put as many points between himself and Monza as possible.
Sylvain Guintoli currently leads the Superbike championship by only four points, less than the difference between first and second place. By all accounts, Guintoli looks poised to lose the lead to Sykes who is currently on a podium streak while Sylvain himself has struggled with consistency over the race weekend. Portimao itself would seem to pose a huge challenge for the Frenchman. Guintoli has raced Portimao every year following his 2009 debut but has only managed two podiums in 8 races. With Sykes managing 7 podiums in 10 starts for the season, the points leader will have his work cut out for him this weekend however he can take some consolation in his performance last year. While Sykes managed the win under wet conditions for race 1, Guintoli was able to put his customer 1098R Ducati on the final podium box (not too long before his team folded for the year). This year he is on one of the best factory machines the paddock has to offer. Despite losing ground to Sykes in the past rounds, Guintoli now has the opportunity to interrupt Sykes' momentum and re-establish his authority over the championship.
When Yamaha announced that they were withdrawing from World Superbikes in 2011 the move was seen as the death knell for the manuracturer in the series. Yamaha had already withdrawn from Supersport in 2009 and despite promises of ongoing support their participation in 2010 had been sorely lacking. Fast forward to 2013 and while the R1 has disappeared from superbike competition, its little sister has been enjoying a revival in supersport. British star Sam Lowes currently leads the championship with 95 points, a healthy 30 point spread separating him from defending champion Kenan Soufoglu. Kawasaki's ZX6R has received a healthy makeover in recent years to match the performance of the "big two" in supersport racing and keep it in line with the performance goals of the runner-up in 2012 ZX10R. In contrast Yamaha's R6 has received no major updates since 2008, a near eternity in sportbike terms when Japan's big four once enjoyed a 2 year major release cycle. Despite the deficit, Lowes has been able to pilot his YZF-R6 to the front of the podium for a hat trick this season, missing only the first two opening rounds.[/quote]
The Road to Redemption
Tom Sykes is a man on the move, but it wasn't too long ago that he was on the tip of everyone's tongue for the wrong reasons. In Monza the Kawasaki ZX-10R pilot rode the wheels off his green machine to finish ahead of title rival Sylvain Guintoli and claim the final podium spot of the weekend. Unfortunately for Sykes his last lap pass saw him skate by Guintoli and unable to make the next corner. Sykes battled for control of his machine and literallyo wrestled it back onto the track before the next bend, blocking Guintoli and cementing his podium spot. After missing the champoinship crown by only half a point in 2012 it easy to see why Sykes would ride so passionately; more than perhaps any other rider on the grid he understands just how important every point can be. Tom then backed up the podium finish with a double win on home soil at Donnington - Kawasaki's first podium and first double at the venue in well over a decade. Having slashed Guintoli's points lead only 4 while keeping next-in-line Laverty to a 20 point deficit, Sykes heads into Portimao with a deserved sense of confidence about his position in the championship. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Monza is far from resolved, the issue now residing with the FIM's internation court. The on-site race direction played hot potato with the standings, first awarding Guintoli third place then reversing their decision to re-instate Sykes. The court could uphold the original decision, or they may even go further to impose an x second penalty on Sykes in place of a ride-through. Or they may do nothing. With such uncertainty hanging over that race result, Sykes' best course of action will be to put as many points between himself and Monza as possible.
Sylvain Guintoli currently leads the Superbike championship by only four points, less than the difference between first and second place. By all accounts, Guintoli looks poised to lose the lead to Sykes who is currently on a podium streak while Sylvain himself has struggled with consistency over the race weekend. Portimao itself would seem to pose a huge challenge for the Frenchman. Guintoli has raced Portimao every year following his 2009 debut but has only managed two podiums in 8 races. With Sykes managing 7 podiums in 10 starts for the season, the points leader will have his work cut out for him this weekend however he can take some consolation in his performance last year. While Sykes managed the win under wet conditions for race 1, Guintoli was able to put his customer 1098R Ducati on the final podium box (not too long before his team folded for the year). This year he is on one of the best factory machines the paddock has to offer. Despite losing ground to Sykes in the past rounds, Guintoli now has the opportunity to interrupt Sykes' momentum and re-establish his authority over the championship.
When Yamaha announced that they were withdrawing from World Superbikes in 2011 the move was seen as the death knell for the manuracturer in the series. Yamaha had already withdrawn from Supersport in 2009 and despite promises of ongoing support their participation in 2010 had been sorely lacking. Fast forward to 2013 and while the R1 has disappeared from superbike competition, its little sister has been enjoying a revival in supersport. British star Sam Lowes currently leads the championship with 95 points, a healthy 30 point spread separating him from defending champion Kenan Soufoglu. Kawasaki's ZX6R has received a healthy makeover in recent years to match the performance of the "big two" in supersport racing and keep it in line with the performance goals of the runner-up in 2012 ZX10R. In contrast Yamaha's R6 has received no major updates since 2008, a near eternity in sportbike terms when Japan's big four once enjoyed a 2 year major release cycle. Despite the deficit, Lowes has been able to pilot his YZF-R6 to the front of the podium for a hat trick this season, missing only the first two opening rounds.[/quote]
