World Superbikes: Scott Redding wins Estoril opener as Jonathan Rea takes third

Scott Redding led from the first corner of the opening race at Estoril

Scott Redding won the opening race of the weekend at the second round of the World Superbike Championship in Estoril, with Jonathan Rea in third.

Redding led from the first corner, holding off the challenge of runner-up Toprak Razgatlioglu and Rea to take his second race win of the season.

The Ducati rider's victory moves him into second spot in the standings, eight points behind series leader Rea.

The top three were covered by less than a second after a thrilling race.

Having won two races at the season curtain-raiser at Aragon last weekend to build a 12-point lead, Northern Ireland's Rea secured his second pole position in a row as he obliterated the lap record in Superpole qualifying in Portugal.

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Starting from second on the grid, England's Redding assumed the lead straight away and never relinquished it, ultimately enjoying a 0.877 seconds winning margin over Razgatlioglu at the chequered flag after 21 laps of racing.

The Yamaha-mounted Turkish rider was always in close attendance, shadowing Redding throughout, with six-time champion Rea making up ground to make it a three-way battle in the latter stages.

Rea got his Kawasaki alongside Razgatlioglu twice on the start-finish straight, but the Yamaha rider's prowess on the brakes proved difficult to overcome.

American Grant Gerloff edged out Ducati's Michael Ruben Rinaldi to finish fifth, with Welshman Chaz Davies completing the top six at a circuit at which he won last year.

Rea's Kawasaki team-mate Alex Lowes and Northern Ireland's Eugene Laverty both crashed with 13 laps remaining in separate incidents, with Lowes re-mounting to come home 19th.

Redding will hope to clinch his second sprint race win of the season in Sunday's Superpole event, with Race Two to follow later at the Portuguese circuit.

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