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Just a few hours earlier he'd missed out on pole by just a few thousandths of a second, but Jonathan Rea had no intention of missing out on the big prize, or rather the race win. And it's no ordinary victory, given that it's the twelfth time he's won at Assen, meaning that he now ties with the legend that is Carl Fogarty.
The current world champion once again managed the situation perfectly, remaining part of the leading group and setting a pace, over the final laps, that gave him enough of an advantage to avoid any attack from his closest rivals. “I tried to avoid making mistakes and I knew it would be a group race, so I tried to manage the situation. In the final stretch, I was able to build a bit of a gap but it was tough; we've taken a step forward today so I have to thank the team for that".
The man who did all he could to stop Rea was Michael Van Der Mark, the local hero who, despite a very gutsy performance, has to settle for second. “A great race. I started well and once behind Rea I tried to stick with him even though I could see he wasn't pushing to the max. He was faster in the final stages, but I'm really happy with this podium result”.
Chaz Davies rounds out the podium, once again able to extract himself from the difficulties of practice. “Yesterday went badly and I wasn't where I wanted to be this morning either, so I'm pleased with the result. l was struggling at the end, particularly with the front”. Tom Sykes just misses the podium, having tried his best to get past Davies in the final stages, while Fores and Melandri have to settle for fifth and sixth place today.
Loris Baz can be pleased with seventh, while Mercado, Torres and Razgatlioglu round out the top ten.
