The Supersport Superpole at Assen proved to be completely consistent with the hierarchy established by free practice.
We therefore found the author of the best time on Friday, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in pole position in front Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Nicholas Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) on the first of the “non 600cc”.
The second line is composed of Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing), Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) while we have to look at 10th position to find Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), in the 15th to see his teammate Andy Verdoïa.
During the race, the Supersport relaunch operation, codenamed Next Generation, which consists of bringing together motorcycles with very different displacements and concepts, found a certain justification with Niccolo Bulega taking command for a few laps aboard his Ducati V2 955 from the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.
Bulega takes the lead and now local rider Van Straalen passes Aegerter for 2nd!#NLDWorldSBK 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/kT5BMcIaLU
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) April 23, 2022
The ex-Moto2 rider made people believe that he was going to fly to victory, but towards the middle of the race, the Yamaha of the reigning champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Glenn Van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) took the lead again. What followed was a great fight, whatever the displacements, without forgetting that the Italian twin-cylinder is still in full development and will therefore have room for improvement compared to the Yamaha R6, which has been on the circuits for years.
Home rider Van Straalen leads!
He passes @nbulega as @DomiAegerter77 closed in P3!#NLDWorldSBK 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/PQL9vNUXhQ
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) April 23, 2022
A minor fall cost Lorenzo Baldassarri the lead in the championship. The former Moto2 rider got off to a very aggressive start, but lost control of his Yamaha, losing valuable points. Falls also for Can Oncu, who was on pole, and Stefano Manzi.
The race was stopped five laps from the finish at red flags when the Swiss Marcel Brenner and the British Tom Booth Amos fell at the seventh turn. The motorcycles crashed into the barriers but the riders got up immediately.
It's a red-flagged win for Yamaha and @DomiAegerter77 at Assen after a Turn 7 incident. Van Straalen takes a maiden podium in P2, and @nbulega takes his second podium in P3. 👏🏻#NLDWorldSBK 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/AToXa62Qc0
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) April 23, 2022
This interruption spoiled a finale that promised sparks: Dominique Aegerter had just passed in front, but the Dutchman Glenn Van Straalen would probably have played his card in front of his home crowd in Assen. Damage…
French side, Jules cluzel (GMT94) finished 4th at 5,7 seconds.
Classification credit: WorldSBK.com
