Bardahl Yamaha’s Randy Krummenacher nicked a last-lap WorldSSP win at Imola this lunchtime, passing team-mate Federico Caricasulo on the run down to Arrabiata as the Italian’s R6 developed a problem.
The pair had been clear leaders after Lucas Mahias highsided at Variante Bassa and launched his Kawasaki into Jules Cluzel, pushing the Frenchman off track.
It gave the leaders a double-figures gap over MV Agusta’s Raffaele De Rosa in third place but there was drama on the last lap when wildcard Massimo Roccoli crashed and was stretchered off, bringing out the red flags.
Although the race was dry, white flags appeared then spots of rain in sector two, then halfway way through the race there were drops of rain in sector one, and finally again in sector four.
The race went to the full 17 laps for the leaders but after the crash suffered by Massimo Roccoli (Team Rosso Corsa Yamaha) a red flag was shown as the rest crossed the line. Everybody from fifth place down was therefore classified with their finishing position on the sector before the crash happened, except Roccoli.
The leading group had grown to five riders at one stage as Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing Yamaha) closed in, just as the race clicked into the ten lap stage.
Then, sudden drama, as Cluzel seemed to slow exiting the last chicane, Mahias hit his tail section and fell, his bike collecting the following Gradinger, who also went down.
Cluzel escaped but lost time to go eighth, and then seventh at the flag. Mahias got back into action just outside the top ten, but worked his way back to eighth. Gradinger was unable to restart.
Behind the podium Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was a career best fourth, one place ahead of Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) fifth. Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing Yamaha) placed sixth just behind the Kawasaki duo.
Hannes Soomer (MPM WILSport Racedays Honda) was ninth and Peter Sebestyen (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) tenth.
Krummenacher now has a 22-point lead over Caricasulo, with Cluzel 37 back from the lead.
