Kallio Yamaha’s Niki Tuuli has bagged his maiden WorldSSP victory this morning, fending off a challenge from Federico Caricasulo to become the first Finn to win a Supersport race on the world stage.
Tuuli crossed the Magny-Cours finish line with almost nine-tenths of a second in hand after slowly creeping away from the GRT Yamaha man over the last three laps. PJ Jacobsen took the final spot on the podium for his third top-three finish of the year.
Championship challenger Lucas Mathias started from 12th on the grid after a difficult qualifying session but collided with Michael Canducci on the opening lap and slipped back to 19th. The Frenchman set fastest lap after fastest lap to claw his way back through the field.
The GRT Yamaha man was up to eighth with ten laps to go and then took another two on the following lap. He then got into a scrap with Jules Cluzel and fighting with his compatriot cost him vital laps in the fight to get to the front.
He eventually got past into fourth place but had used his rear tyre and had to settle for missing the podium by four seconds. With Kenan Sofuoglu ruled out of action with a triple hip fracture, Mathias now holds a nine-point lead over the Turk. However, with the Puccetti Kawasaki man likely to be out for the rest of the season, it is more like a 25-point lead over Sheridan Morais, currently in third.
