SBK, Rea: I'm strong at Assen and don't know why. Chaz was unlucky

The next title for a love film could be “Jonathan Rea and the Assen racetrack". Yes, because today's win makes it six in a row at the TT for the Northern Irish rider, and it seems he has no intention of stopping. “Today's win was an important one – opens the number 1 – because the most you win at a given track, the most you feel the pressure to do it again. I don't know why I can do so well at Assen but it seems that everything just works. Our bike works very well through the fast part, while Chaz was strong in acceleration; I was able to keep pace with him in some parts, and I was faster in the final part, which is where it matters when it comes to passing”

The world champion had a clear plan in mind, though he then found it harder to actually put it into action.

“I had great pace and at the end I wanted to pass him and then build a gap, but each time I got the wheels in front, I'd be passed back at the last turn. Chaz was really unlucky in the final phase, and losing points like that is never nice. It was important for me that it happened when he was behind me though, as I was really trying to get into a rhythm and create a gap at that point”. 

With Chaz's unexpected and unlucky exit, second place fell to Tom Sykes, who completed the double for the men in green. The Brit was managing to keep pace with the leading pair, but in the second half of the race he had to wave the white flag, setting for third, which then became second.  “I didn't feel 100% - explains Tom – but that's not an excuse. For this race, we had some limits in terms of set-up and I think we can make some changes to be faster tomorrow. Realistically,  we need to close a gap of three second, but I think it's possible if we take everything into consideration. In the final phase I had to fight with the tyres, that had given their all, and so I also had to fight with the bike in certain sections”.

As we've said #66 appeared to have the pace to fight for the win, but he himself explains what hindered him today.

“At the start, i wasn't fast, but then got into a good rhythm and reached the front guys. At that point though, I started to lose something in the fast part of the track; it was a matter of confidence, so I think we can improve".