World Superbikes: Eugene Laverty crashes in final race of career

Laverty's last race win came at Phillip Island in 2014

Northern Ireland's Eugene Laverty was flown to hospital after suffering a pelvic injury in a crash during the final race of his World Superbike career in Australia.

The Bonovo BMW rider was involved in a collision with Spain's Xavi Fores as they battled for position.

Laverty, 36, went down at turn one at the Phillip Island circuit with five laps of race two remaining.

He was transferred to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital by helicopter.

Laverty was initially assessed at the circuit's medical centre after the contact with Fores' Barni Ducati left him with pain to his right leg and pelvis. He was reported to be conscious.

The race was red-flagged, with newly crowned world champion Alvaro Bautista from Spain taking his 16th victory of the season ahead of Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea and England's Alex Lowes, both riding a Kawasaki.

In finishing fourth, Turkey's Toprak Razgatlioglu secured second place in the final championship standings ahead of Rea.

Earlier, Bautista triumphed in the Superpole race by three seconds over Razgatlioglu, with Rea third, after gambling on slick tyres for the sprint event.

Rea won Saturday's opening feature race of the weekend.

Laverty was competing in his final race of a 16-year World Superbike career after announcing in July that he would be taking up a management role with the Bonovo BMW racing team, becoming a co-owner.

He was runner-up in the 2013 World Superbike Championship and his career also included racing for BMW Motorrad for three seasons and a two-year stint in MotoGP.

He won 13 races, finished on the podium 35 times and was twice runner-up in the World Supersport Championship.