Cal Crutchlow took it home for Yamaha Sterligarda in a dominating manner in race 1 at the French circuit of Magny-Cours. The British rider took off from the pole position but it was Max Biaggi who got the better line and almost immediately started to pull away. It took the Brit 8 laps to catch the Italian and pass him, but from there on Crutchlow began easing away and opened a big gap to take the win with an almost 4 second lead.

However it was the battle for the remaining two spots on the podium that was highly entertaining, with four riders, Fabrizio, Guintoli, Checa and Haslam all wanting to overtake Biaggi and his Aprilia, who was running in second. With Fabrizio starting to fade, Checa and Haslam who started in tenth on the grid, were all over Biaggi’s tail, and all three riders exhanging the second spot.

On the penultimate lap Haslam was in fourth, he overtook Checa at the Adelaide turn and concentrated his attentions on Biaggi and on the final turn of the last lap barged passed the Italian, forcing him on the kerb which opened a space for Carlos Checa to slip by. At the chequered flag it was Haslam second, Checa third, Max Biaggi fourth.

Sylvain Guintoli’s race ended on lap 14 when he cut the chicane that didn’t give him any advantage, but the race direction was of an another opionion and gave the French rider a ride through which he didn’t heed. Guintoli was then given a black flag and refused to pit continuing his race to the finish line in fifth, his stubborness could be even more costly than being disqualified, it could cost him the race 2 start.

Fifth went Jakub Smrz (Aprilia Pata B&G), who after a bad start sliced back through the field with even the record lap of the race but it was to late for the Czech rider to join the fray.

Michel Fabrizio took sixth in front of Noriyuki Haga and Tom Sykes. Shane Byrne crossed the line in ninth while Luca Scassa completed the top ten.

WSBK Magny-Cours Race 1 Results:

01- Cal Crutchlow – Yamaha Sterilgarda Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – 23 laps
02- Leon Haslam – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 3.779
03- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 4.261
04- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Alitalia Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 4.416
05- Jakub Smrz – Team Pata B&G Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 7.476
06- Michel Fabrizio – Ducati Xerox Team – Ducati 1198 – + 11.866
07- Noriyuki Haga – Ducati Xerox Team – Ducati 1198 – + 16.390
08- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX 10R – + 21.669
09- Shane Byrne – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 22.065
10- Luca Scassa – Supersonic Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 22.281
11- Lorenzo Lanzi – DFX Corse – Ducati 1198 – + 26.748
12- Jonathan Rea – HANNspree Ten Kate Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 35.608
13- Max Neukirchner – HANNspree Ten Kate Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 39.929
14- Ian Lowry – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX 10R – + 54.836
15- Matteo Baiocco – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX 10R – + 1′07.191
16- Fabrizio Lai – ECHO CRS Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1′14.632

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