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FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) was overshadowed by a heavy crash involving BMW Motorrad’s Tom Sykes in Race 2.

The British rider was rushed to the hospital, whereby initial examinations revealed he suffered a concussion.

It was a day of poor luck for BMW Motorrad as Michael van der Mark fell on the first lap during morning’s Superpole race, thus sending Sykes into the gravel trap.

The race was later suspended after another accident, which resulted in neither of the BMW Motorrad riders being allowed to participate in the restart.

At the start of Race 2, Sykes fell off his bike. This time, he was hit by another rider, sending the 36-year-old to the medical centre before officials proceeded to take him to the hospital for further assessment.

The incident resulted in another suspension of the race before it was restarted which saw fellow BMW rider van der Mark crossed the line at 9th place.

Nonetheless, Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, has confirmed that Sykes is conscious and is currently undergoing further hospital examinations.

“Our main concern is that Tom is well. He is conscious and in hospital for further checks at the moment. We have our fingers firmly crossed that he has come through the crash relatively unscathed.

“It was not an easy day. Unfortunately, Mickey also took out Tom when he crashed in this morning’s Superpole race.

“As they had already completed three laps by the time the red flag appeared, we were unfortunately unable to join in when the Superpole race restarted.

“In race two, Tom fell and was then unfortunately hit by another rider. Mickey was ninth in race two. They were probably difficult conditions for many riders, but that was obviously not the result we were striving for.

“It was a difficult end to a weekend that actually started very positively,” he said.

WorldSBK will return to action next weekend a the iconic Circuito de Jerez, Spain.

Francesco Bagnaia secured his back-to-back victories in Misano just a week after claiming his first MotoGP win in Aragon.

The win was a major boost for the Ducati rider, who even held off championship leader Fabio Quartararo at the later stage of the race.

Bagnaia took the chequered in style as he led the entire race from the start before crossing the finish line ahead of the Frenchman while fellow Ducati’s, Enea Bastianini, took his first podium of the season at 3rd place onboard a two-year-old Ducati machine.

According to Bagnaia, the start of the race played a pivotal role in his home win.

“I knew that it was very important to start well and already be pushing from the start because, with the soft, the grip initially was better.

“I also knew that Fabio (Quartararo) in the last part of the race would be faster with the medium. So, I just tried to be fast and constant from the start.

“I did my best start ever because I started when the light went off, so it was incredible.

“I trained a lot for this. When I passed the first straight, I was already looking to the board, and it was plus 1.0 seconds which was incredible already,” said the 24-year-old Italian.

The win also reduces Quartararo championship lead to just 48 points with four more rounds to go.

MotoGP will return to action in the first week of October at the Circuit of the Americas.

Francesco Bagnaia continues his strong form as the Ducati rider secured a back-to-back pole position after setting a new lap record in Misano.

He will start the race on Sunday ahead of teammate Jack Miller while championship leader Fabio Quartararo completes the first row at P3.

Quartararo set the pace during the opening run of Q2 with the fastest lap time before Bagnaia sensationally went three tenths quicker than the Frenchman.

However, Quartararo had to settle with P3 as Miller clocked in a better time to take P2.

Meanwhile, this is the third time Bagnaia has recorded a new all-time lap record just as he managed a week ago in Aragon.

“I am happy about today. A week ago, we were feeling great in Aragon, and today is the same.

“Everything is going so well, and I am very comfortable with the bike,” said the 24-year-old.

Bagnaia currently sits behind Quartararo in the championship with just 53 points gap with only four rounds to go.

VR46 Racing will debut in the 2022 MotoGP World Championship with Luca Marini and Marco Bezzechi, as confirmed by Valentino Rossi.

VR46 will make its inaugural appearance in the premier class with the two Italian riders as one of the Ducati satellite teams.

In the latest update, Rossi casually unveils the 2022 riders lineup during a recent interview ahead of San Marino GP despite no confirmation.

“We have worked hard over the years because we knew that unfortunately, sooner or later, I would have to stop, but we have done a good job. We have a lot of very strong academy riders. Next year there will be four in MotoGP.

“Bagnaia and Morbidelli will be in the factory Ducati and Yamaha teams respectively, two of the best teams, so they will start with the clear objective of winning the world championship. Then we also have Luca and Bezzecchi with the Ducatis,” he said.

Bezzecchi was previously linked with a move to Sepang Racing Team (SRT), now rebranded as RNF MotoGP Racing for the 2022 MotoGP season.

Sepang Racing Team (SRT) waves goodbye to MotoGP as the team will now venture into the upcoming 2022 season as RNF MotoGP Racing.

RNF Racing has signed a five-year deal with IRTA that sees the rebranded team continue participating in the premier class as an Independent Team, spearheaded by team principal Datuk Razlan Razali.

“It has been a whirlwind journey for us.

“In recent months, we have put all our efforts to reset, rebrand and relaunch as a fresh and stronger MotoGP team.

“I would like to thank Carmelo for his continued trust and confidence in me to begin this second chapter with a newly rebuilt team competing in MotoGP’s premier class for the next five years.

“For the season ahead, under the new entity of RNF MotoGP Racing, the rebranded team will continue our blueprint that has proven success before,” said Razlan in a statement.

Despite the uncertainties, especially when the team is yet to name the other rider that will race alongside Andrea Dovizioso in 2022, Razlan is adamant RNF Racing is ready to take up the challenge.

“Expectations will be high, and we will push hard to meet these aspirations. Equipped with the experience we gained and having achieved multiple highlights in the past, we look forward to the 2022 season as an even stronger team entry,” he added.

SRT entered the premier class in 2019 with a bang thanks to Fabio Quartararo, who recorded seven podiums, while Franco Morbidelli consistently finishes the majority of the race in the top five.

Quartararo then went on to win Rookie of the Year in his debut season.

SRT then recorded six premier class win last season, with both Quartararo and Morbidelli sharing three apiece.

Just a few weeks ago, Triumph Motorcycles unveiled the Tiger 1200 Prototype, which is launching soon.

When the guys at Hinckley dropped the first set of teasers, there were questions about whether the Tiger 1200 will received the same innovative T-plane crank as the Tiger 900.

However, the latest teaser by Triumph has confirmed that the Tiger 1200 will feature the new innovative T-plane crank, which will take the newest adventure bike to greater heights.

The T-plane crank improves power delivery at low and high rpm making which helps to propel the Tiger 900 as a leading middleweight adventure bike.

While the full details of the new engine are still unknown, including the specs, it is safe to assume that the Tiger 1200 with its T-plane crank is something to look forward to.

“The new Tiger 1200 official prototype testing showcases Triumph’s signature T-Plane triple advantage for the first time in the large capacity adventure world.

“Delivering more power and character than its closest competition, the only other shaft-driven bike in the class, the new 1200 engine brings all of the low-down torque delivery of a twin, married to the top-end punch and an incredible soundtrack that only the Triumph triple delivers.

 

“The new T-Plane triple is beautifully smooth and refined, with incredible response and tractability, equally perfect for kicking up the dirt, sweeping through the corners, or crossing continents in style,” said Triumph in a statement.

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