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Pata Yamaha Official #worldsbk riders Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes turned around a challenging race weekend in style today the two putting all their race craft into their YZF-R1s to take fourth and fifth respectively in the second race of the Dutch FIM Superbike World Championship round at Assen.
The home crowd were out in force in Assen rooting for their national hero van der Mark and the young Dutchman was determined not to disappoint. A frustrating DNF yesterday had put the motivated Yamaha rider back in 11th on the fourth row of the grid, with a pack of fast riders in front to take on. With turn one of the opening lap of the race out of the way safely, van der Mark got straight down to business, treating the thousands of fans to flashes of orange charging through the pack from the special Alpinestars leathers and R1 livery he wore this weekend for the King's birthday.
Using his YZF-R1 to full effect he was able to carve from 11th all the way up to fourth, each pass sticking and holding. By lap nine he was less than half a second from third and quick enough to challenge for the podium. Determinedly challenging Chaz Davies for multiple laps, a couple of big 'moments' at fast points of the track, combined with intense pain in his right arm following yesterday's big highside, tempered the run. Van der Mark kept it consistent and took his orange liveried R1 across the line in fourth to the delight of the crowd, signing off in style after a challenging start to a special home race.
Feeling just as motivated and determined as his teammate, British rider Lowes was also relegated to a less than perfect grid start position following yesterday's race one DNF. Sitting in 15th on the fifth row of the grid, the Cathedral didn't promise an easy race. Undaunted, and unfazed, Lowes was quick off the line and soon settled into a comfortable race pace, waiting patiently for his moment to strike. A handful of measured moves put him an impressive six positions ahead to ninth by lap 10, chasing down Nicky Hayden in eighth. The American was soon taken and Lowes' charge continued, mirroring his teammate's progress as he pushed his YZF-R1 through the pack. Leon Camier and Eugene Laverty were next, taking him past the entire mid-pack.
With just four laps remaining, the gap to van der Mark in fourth was by this point too large, leaving Lowes to bring it home in fifth having put the early weekend challenges behind him and settling his score with the Assen circuit.
Today's results places Lowes in fifth in the championship standings on 76 points, teammate van der Mark sits in sixth with 62. The team now move to Italy for the Imola round in two weeks time.
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