SBK, Magny-Cours, Davies: "It was fun to play catch-up"

A sixth win of the season for Chaz Davies and Ducati. On the Magny-Cours track, wet at the start of the race, the Welshman (having qualified third in Superpole) opted for intermediate tyres. A non-conformist choice, seeing as most of the riders went for rain tyres, but one that rewarded him, allowing him to beat his record for number of race wins in a season: “I tried to make an educated guess on tyres, as in the past we haven’t always opted for the best strategy in these conditions. Still, it was somewhat of a gamble and I knew that early on it was just a matter of survival but the reward could be great" explained Davies at the end of the race. 

The Ducati rider rode defensively in the first laps due to the precarious track conditions, slipping down out of the top ten. As the track slowly began to dry, he began to play catch-up, making up position after position to reach the head of the pack and cross the line first, ten seconds ahead of Michael VD Mark's Honda: "At first, I just tried to stay on the bike as in some points it felt like riding on ice, but when I saw the gap from the front after the first few laps I realized we could pull it off. It was fun to come back through the field. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be dry and we have a good chance, but we still have room for improvement.”

Things went less well for Davide Giugliano. Despite having gritted his teeth in qualifying, he was unable to take part in the race due to pain in his right shoulder, which he injured at the Lausitzring two weeks ago. He'll return at Jerez.“I tried everything I could to race - comments a disappointed Davide - Yesterday we stopped early to give my shoulder a chance to rest, and this morning in the wet I felt comfortable right away. Unfortunately the crash during Superpole, even if at a really low speed, made the situation worse. It’s impossible to do a 21-lap race with much pain and little strength. Now I will rest and undergo physiotherapy to improve the conditions of the tendons so that I can go to Jerez in a better shape. Time is on our side.”