Superbike Shootout For the Championship - Preview Video

FIM SBK World Championship: 31 points separate leaders Tom Sykes and Silvain Guintoli as the series heads to France

After a one-month break from competition, the eni FIM Superbike World Championship resumes this weekend at Magny-Cours, a favorite circuit of 2013 champion and current series leader Tom Sykes. He has won three of the last four WSBK races in France, but this is also the circuit where, in 2012, he just missed out on the championship by half a point. Click PLAY to view the SBK preview below:
Sylvain Guintoli: “After the solid week end in Jerez, I can't wait to get back on track in Magny-Cours to try to close the Championship gap. It won't be easy but I still have a chance so I'll take all risks and try my best to beat Tom."

With two races remaining in the 2014 eni FIM Superbike World Championship, the stakes are high for this year’s title chase at Magny-Cours this weekend. Series leader Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) heads to the France circuit with a 31-point advantage over Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team). The reigning champion is looking to return to his previous winning form to seal what could be his second straight title after his third- and second-place finishes at Jerez where he struggled to keep his ZX-10R on the pace of the two factory Aprilia machines of Guintoli and Melandri.

Last year the 29-year-old Sykes dominated in France by taking pole position then winning both races and setting the fastest lap in each of the two encounters. In 2012 Sykes won the second race on the 4411m, challenging venue located in the heart of France only to miss the ultimate price by half a point.

Tom Sykes: “A big weekend coming up and it is potentially getting down towards crunch time. I am very relaxed and yet also excited to go to Magny-Cours. It is a circuit we have done very well at in the past so I am looking forward to getting back on my Ninja ZX-10R. Despite scoring a podium in race two at Jerez we had a few issues at the previous round, especially in race one, so I am hoping we can be a lot stronger this time out. At this present time we are in a good championship position with the biggest margin for error. Hopefully we can stretch it a bit more this weekend.”

Many riders are looking for strong performances to improve their position in the overall standings. Local rider Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and the Ducati Superbike Team duo of Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano have yet to step atop the podium this year and have never made it into the top 3 at Magny-Cours. The Voltcom Crescent Suzuki Team will face the penultimate round with both sides of the garage knowing their 2015 plans. Eugene Laverty is officially heading to MotoGP, while rookie Alex Lowes recently agreed to extend his partnership with the squad for one more year.

Eugene Laverty: "I really expected podium finishes last time out in Jerez so I left feeling very disappointed. We need to find a way to transform our strong pace in practice into race pace. It's no secret that we have struggled to match the others on new tires and a full tank of fuel and I hope we can make improvements in this area for Magny Cours."
Sylvain Guintoli: “After the solid week end in Jerez, I can't wait to get back on track in Magny-Cours to try to close the Championship gap. It won't be easy but I still have a chance so I'll take all risks and try my best to beat Tom."
Tom Sykes: “A big weekend coming up and it is potentially getting down towards crunch time. I am very relaxed and yet also excited to go to Magny-Cours. It is a circuit we have done very well at in the past so I am looking forward to getting back on my Ninja ZX-10R. Despite scoring a podium in race two at Jerez we had a few issues at the previous round, especially in race one, so I am hoping we can be a lot stronger this time out. At this present time we are in a good championship position with the biggest margin for error. Hopefully we can stretch it a bit more this weekend.”
Eugene Laverty: "I really expected podium finishes last time out in Jerez so I left feeling very disappointed. We need to find a way to transform our strong pace in practice into race pace. It's no secret that we have struggled to match the others on new tires and a full tank of fuel and I hope we can make improvements in this area for Magny Cours."