Eugene Laverty wins World Superbike race two at Portimao

Eugene Laverty

Eugene Laverty won the second race at the World Superbike round at Portimao, Portugal, after retiring in the first race on the straight while leading.

Laverty led race two from start to finish and lies third in the series standings, 39 points behind leader and Aprilia team-mate Sylvian Guintoli.

"The bike was great. I kept pushing after I hit the front," said Laverty.

Jonathan Rea took third in the second race after retiring in the first event and is seventh overall on 105 points.

It was the second podium of the year for the Isle of Man-based Ballyclare rider who was second at the Assen round earlier in the season.

"I was pleased that I was able to match Eugene's pace early on, but I'm frustrated with the problems we are continually having," said Rea after race two.

After securing the seventh win of his World Superbike career and the fourth of this campaign, Laverty added: "We put a new engine in the bike and were able to make amends for the first race."

Jonathan Rea took his second podium of the season at Portimao

The 26-year-old from Toomebridge won from Guintoli, who heads the standings on 213 points, with Tom Sykes on 185 and Laverty on 174.

Race one winner Marco Melandri lies fourth with 156 ahead of the next round at Imola on 30 June.

Laverty suffered disappointment in the opener as he was forced to retire while leading midway through the race.

The Irish rider had qualified second fastest, but lay third in the early stages of the race before hitting the front.

He was forced out on the home straight with smoke billowing out of his bike, soon after Rea had returned to his Pata Honda team garage.

The Toomebridge rider was just starting to make a break from the field and looked set for his fourth win of the year when his machine blew up.

Rea also suffered misfortune as he had to call it a day while lying fifth, following some strong showings in practice and qualifying.

Italian Melandri came home ahead of Laverty's team-mate Guintoli and third-place finisher Tom Sykes.

Laverty, who also won race two at Portimao last year, had lost out on pole position to Sykes by just one thousandth of a second on Saturday.

Dubliner Jack Kennedy was sixth in the World Supersport race for the Rivamoto Honda team and lies eighth in that series.