Monza World Superbikes: Haga steals win from Kiyonari

Reigning British Superbike champion Ryuichi Kiyonari narrowly missed out on his maiden World Superbike win to Noriyuki Haga in the last corner of the second race at Monza.

Kiyo worked his way through the pack from a mid field start to go in to the lead on the penultimate lap.

• Monza World Superbikes race one report
• Monza World Supersport report

The Japanese rider rode incredibly, holding the lead until the long sweeping final corner, but he drifted wide and Haga took advantage sneaking up the inside to take the lead.

Then as Haga swept wide going up to the finish he held up Kiyo and let Max Neukirchner just push a wheel in front to take second, leaving Kiyo both disappointed and thrilled to take third.

In a repeat of the first race Haga and Neukirchner swapped the lead constantly throughout the 18 laps, but this time round there was no Troy Bayliss in the mix after he retired with mechanical problems.

Yukio Kagayama was also playing at the front until the grip problems that had plagued him throughout both races finally caught up with him on lap six highsiding him out.

Max Biaggi was knocked out of the race in what looked like a painful move by Jakub Smrz. Smrz tried to go up the inside at the chicane but Biaggi didn’t see him and peeled in only to be hit in the head by Smrz’ tail unit.

Final positions:

N.HAGA 
M.NEUKIRCHNER 0.009
R. KIYONARI 0.051
F. NIETO 4.489
M.FABRIZIO 10.272
K. MUGGERIDGE 10.376
R. XAUS 10.496
T. CORSER 12.498
A. BADOVINI 19.429
G.LAVILLA 26.373
L. LANZI 26.544
S. NAKATOMI 26.895
R. HOLLAND 27.761
S. GIMBERT 29.661
M.BECK 1’29.001
S. AOYAMA 3 Laps
DNF 
M.TAMADA 
M.BIAGGI 
J. SMRZ 
C. CHECA 
L. NAPOLEONE 
T. BAYLISS 
R. LACONI 
Y. KAGAYAMA 
V. IANNUZZO 
L. MORELLI