Caricasulo picks his moment in Assen last-lap showdown

Full Assen World Supersport race results

Federico Caricasulo has clinched his first win of the 2019 World Supersport Championship season after timing his charge to perfect during a typical final lap at Assen.

The Italian recovered from a slow start that dropped him from second on the grid to a low of eighth to claw his way back towards the front of a dense lead pack.

From here he’d become embroiled in an entertaining dice for the lead with BARDAHL Evan Bros Yamaha team-mate Randy Krummenacher and Jules Cluzel on the GRT machine. 

However, when Cluzel’s hopes of victory were scuppered when Raffaele de Rosa’s overzealous lunge for position at turn one with five laps to go sent them both wide and out of contention, the victory battle was reduced to the team-mates. 

Though Krummenacher had had the measure of Cluzel on the home straight most laps to keep his R6 in front, Caricasulo proved more closely matched with the youngster building his challenge for the lead towards a neat pass Stekkenwal on the last revolution.

While Krummenacher attempted to respond immediately in the ensuing bends to no avail, the Swiss rider ultimately opted against a risky attempt to overtake at the infamous final Geert Timmer Bocht chicane too.

Leaving Caricasulo to celebrate a satisfying fourth career WorldSSP win, the success in turn lifts him to second place in the overall standings, 17 points behind Krummenacher.

Behind them, Thomas Gradinger secured a long-awaited maiden WorldSSP podium on the Kallio Yamaha. The Austrian had run with the leaders throughout, with his reward of third coming after finishing fourth on four occasions in the last seven events.

Cluzel recovered to a frustrated fourth position, even if he may take scant consolation from de Rosa’s subsequent misfortune after the Italian slid off his MV Agusta only a few corners on from his altercation with his adversary.

Kawasaki’s Lucas Mahias fought hard to finish as the highest-placed non-Yamaha machine in fifth position, ahead of Corentin Perolari, Hikari Okubo – whose poor start prevented him from coming good on his fourth place start – and Isaac Vinales. Glenn Van Straalen and Jules Danilo completed the top ten at the expense of Hans Soomer, who crashed whilst running ninth.