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Belfast Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Jonathan Rea gets points on the board for first time since injury but says: ‘It's noting to get excited about'
The 38-year-old missed the first three rounds of 2025 in Australia, Portugal and the Netherlands after fracturing bones in his left foot when he crashed at the final winter test in Australia in February, days before the season opener. Rea made his return at Cremona in Italy at the beginning of May but was outside the points as he finished 19th, 16th and 18th. However, he pocketed his first points in yesterday's opening race of the weekend at round five of the championship at Most, finishing 10th after qualifying 14th on the Pata Maxus Yamaha. Rea finished 22.6s behind reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad), who won the race by six seconds from championship leader Nicolo Bulega ( Ducati) to close the gap to 29 points ahead of today's Superpole race and Race Two. 'My first points of the year,' said Rea, whose team-mate Andrea Locatelli was ruled out after he was caught up in a collision with Alvaro Bautista and Michael van der Mark on the first lap. 'The beginning of the race was amazing, I had a great start and first corner and everything opened up for me. 'I found myself with a really good track position, and from there step-by-step tried to do my race rhythm. 'Unfortunately, I couldn't fend off the attacks from a few riders, but when they got past me I was able to see them as a reference and understand my pace to go away from the guys behind and maintain my position. 'Tenth place is nothing to be excited about, but it's a start.' Rea is building confidence step-by-step and the record 119-time race winner feels it won't be long before he is back at the sharp end. 'I've come from missing three rounds of the season and a difficult first weekend back in Cremona, but physically here I've felt a lot better,' said Rea, who struggled to 13th in last year's championship in his first season as a Yamaha rider after a long and successful association with Kawasaki. 'I just need to find some overall performance and we should be in the mix a bit more.' Italian Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) took the final rostrum spot ahead of England's Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). Bulega's Ducati team-mate Alvaro Bautista battled his way back from 16th to finish a fighting fifth after losing time when he was involved in the incident with Locatelli and van der Mark. The Superpole race on Sunday is scheduled for 10:00 BST with the final race at 13:00 BST. In the British Superbike Championship, Carrickfergus man Glenn Irwin finished fourth in the first race on Saturday at Donington Park. The Hager PBM Ducati rider was in the fight for a top-three finish but began to lose ground on the final laps and fell into the clutch of Australian Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda), who snatched the last podium place in third. Former champion Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) won by almost two seconds from reigning champion Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Yamaha). Andrew Irwin finished eighth. His Honda Racing team-mate, Tommy Bridewell, crashed out heavily at Coppice but was up on his feet afterwards. BSB newcomer Scott Swann (Send my Bag/IWR Honda) finished 12th. In the Supersport Sprint race, Rhys Irwin from Donegal was on the podium in third on the Performance 15 Suzuki, one place ahead of champion Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing). Eugene McManus from Randalstown was fifth on the MMB Ducati while Lee Johnston (Sencat by Swan Racing Triumph) finished 12th. The BSB races at the second round today are due to take place at 1:15pm and 4:20pm. A memorial silence was observed yesterday at Donington in honour of young Englishman Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson from New Zealand, who tragically lost their lives after they were involved in an 11-rider pile-up in the Supersport race at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday.
Belfast Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Jonathan Rea focused on making progress as comeback from injury continues in Czech Republic
Rea made his long-awaited comeback at the beginning of May after spending more than two months out with a foot injury. The record-breaking six-time champion suffered fractures in a crash in testing a few days before the season commenced in Australia. Rea endured a tough return at Cremona in Italy at round four but now wants to put the injury behind him as he concentrates on making further progress this weekend, where the 38-year-old is seeking to score his first points of 2025. 'If I could come away from Most feeling good with the bike, riding the bike in the proper way, making the correct adjustments, that would be something to be satisfied with because there's still a lot of the season left,' said Rea. 'Now, I'm not racing for classification because I've been injured — it's all about trying to maximise the opportunities that come my way and to do that we have to prepare in the best way, so Most is a good place to try and regain that feeling, and consistency and performance. 'I still have a lot of pain day to day but the body is clever to understand the pain, so it becomes easier if you like. 'I think with the plates inside my foot, and you walk on that with every movement, two of the metatarsals are fused together, so it offsets a lot of the force and pain. 'I think until I get those plates out, I'm going to have that feeling, so we need to check in the summer break if there's enough gap (to have them removed) or whether that can be done at the end of the season,' he added. 'Honestly, functionally and strength-wise, my foot is at quite 100 per cent let's say; aside from the pain and discomfort, it's quite normal and it shouldn't be an excuse from now on. 'Now is more about me getting a feeling on the bike and trying to forget the foot injury.' Turkey's Toprak Razgatlioglu has a strong record at Most and was fastest in both free practice sessions on Friday for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad team. The reigning champion is 34 points behind Ducati's Nicolo Bulega ahead of Saturday's first race (1.00pm) and is eager to close the deficit. Bulega was involved in a huge high-side in FP1 but was able to participate in the afternoon session, ending the day fourth. Razgatlioglu was two-tenths quicker than Sam Lowes (Marc VDS Racing Ducati) with brother Alex (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in third. In the British Superbike Championship, Ulsterman Glenn Irwin led the time sheets in free practice at Donington Park on the Hager PBM Ducati. Irwin, who is tied on 32 points at the top with Bradley Ray and Leon Haslam after the opening round at Oulton Park, was 0.093s ahead of Yamaha rider Ray, with Rory Skinner third on the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati for TAS Racing. Current champion Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Yamaha) was fourth with Haslam in fifth. Andrew Irwin was 10th fastest for Honda Racing UK with fellow Northern Ireland man and BSB rookie Scott Swann in 12th (Send My Bag IWR Honda). The first BSB race of the weekend on Saturday is set for 4.15pm with tomorrow's races due at 1.15pm and 4.20pm.
