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World Superbikes: Tom Sykes extends lead in championship

Winner Tom Sykes enjoys his bottle of champagne while third-placed Marco Melandri waves to the crowd at Misano
Image: Winner Tom Sykes enjoys his bottle of champagne while third-placed Marco Melandri waves to the crowd at Misano

Tom Sykes won both races at Sunday’s World Superbikes round in Italy to extend his lead at the top of the Championship standings.

The British Kawasaki rider beat teammate Loris Baz into second spot twice, with Marco Melandri also making it onto the podium in each race.

In race one, Sykes assumed the lead towards the end of the opening lap and remained there to win by 5.012 seconds.

In the second outing, Ducati's Davide Giugliano led for the opening three laps before being adjudged to have moved before the lights went out and was given a jump-start penalty in the pits.

Sykes took over on lap four and triumphed by 3.083 seconds, with Giugliano finishing ninth.

Sykes now leads the riders standings by 39 points from Sylvain Guintoli who finished fifth and fourth respectively at Misano – while Baz is two points further adrift.

The Yorkshire-born, 28-year-old, Sykes has now won 20 WSB races and is the firm favourite to retain his world title after seven of 13 rounds.

Briton Jonathan Rea is fourth in the table – with 199 points – after finishes of seventh and fifth on Sunday.

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