Tom Sykes’ hopes of becoming the first World Superbike champion to retain his title in over a decade were dashed in the desert.
The 29-year-old Huddersfield racer, looking for his second crown, was aiming to emulate the feats of Blackburn’s Carl Fogarty – who backed up his 1998 victory to ensure his fourth title in 1999 – but was pipped to the crown by Aprilia rider Sylvain Guintoli.
Kawasaki Racing Team rider Sykes needed only to record two second places to retain his title, but as Guintoli recorded his first double win on the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Sykes managed only third in both races to miss the title by six points.
“We knew we needed to do a bit more work after race one,” said Sykes.
“The Aprilia was really quick and we knew we had a bridge to cross in race two but we were left making changes too late – it’s disappointing.”
It was a first win for Frenchman Guintoli, who lives in the East Midlands, and his Aprilia garage also retained the team title beating Kawasaki.
