Bulega dominates Phillip Island World Superbikes

ITALIAN rider Nicolo Bulega dominated the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island, winning all four races across the weekend on his Ducati Panigale V4R.

More than 47,500 spectators packed the Island across the weekend with Saturday’s program staged in perfect conditions and temperatures in the mid-20s.

In the World Supersport class Australian Oli Bayliss qualified second on the Triumph 675 and secured a career-first podium with third in race one, holding off a quartet of riders vying for the position.

Race two saw confusion reign as riders were caught between wet and dry tyre choices. Bayliss chose wets and went backwards before changing mid-race to slicks and posting the fastest lap of the entire race. Albert Arenas won to lead the championship on 38 points.

Bulega’s dominance in the World Superbike races was total. He won race one by five seconds with fellow Ducati riders Yari Montella and Lorenzo Baldassarri filling the podium in an Italian manufacturer trifecta.

Sunday’s sprint saw Montella jump to the lead before Bulega cleared out by lap four to win by 2.7 seconds.

Rain arrived for the final race and Bulega took to the wet track like a duck to water, romping home by 11.33 seconds. Montella and Sam Lowes both crashed, Lowes later diagnosed with a fractured left wrist.

Australia’s Remy Gardner fought through injury to finish 13th on home soil after retiring from race one with a technical issue on his GRT Yamaha.

Bulega leads the championship on 62 points from Axel Bassani on 42.