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A high-speed crash in Race 1 at the Circuito do Estoril cost Dominique Aegerter dearly and abruptly ended an outstanding performance that had put him on track for a possible first podium finish of the season.

For 35-year-old Dominique Aegerter, the second-last race weekend of the season in Portugal has gone very well so far, even though the first race on Saturday afternoon ended in disappointment. On Friday, the Kawasaki rider secured eighth place on the grid, his best Superpole result of the season so far.

Aegerter got off to a solid start in the race, but right from the first corner he found himself in numerous battles for positions, which prevented him from making up ground quicker. The experienced racer from the canton of Bern, however, knew how to assert himself, and as soon as he had a reasonably clear track ahead of him, he picked up the pace.

At the start of the final third of the distance, Aegerter was on the verge of catching up to the leading group. However, a minor mistake in riding in the heat of the moment dashed all hopes of a top finish when he crashed, losing the front at high speed. Fortunately, the ambitious racer emerged unscathed and is now looking forward with confidence to Sunday’s race at Estoril, hoping to make up for what he missed out on this afternoon. 

Race 2 is scheduled to get underway on Sunday afternoon at the same time, at 2:00 p.m. local time, which is 3:00 p.m. CEST.

#77 Dominique AEGERTER (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636)
Grid position 8 / Race 1: P26

«The way today’s race ended was a bit disappointing, of course. We started from P8 on the grid and were involved in intense battles with many riders right from the start. By halfway point of the race, I’d fought my way up from 12th to 7th place. But I was pushing myself to the limit every lap to close the gap. Finally, I caught up to the leading group. I was already very close, so a lot could have been possible. But I kept pushing to pass the riders in front of me. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake at one point: I drifted off the track a little bit, and in the moment, I started braking, I lost control of the front wheel and crashed. Fortunately, I wasn’t injured, since it happened in a high-speed turn. As I said, I’m okay for now, but I’m sure I’ll feel the effects of the crash at a few places of my body tomorrow morning.»

«In the second race, we’ll have to start from P12. But I hope we can get off to a good start, and then anything should be possible, because I feel really good with the bike, even though we still need to improve it a bit so that I feel a bit more comfortable. That should allow me to ride a bit more confidently and not being at the absolute limit every lap. But we’re working hard and showing that we have the pace, as you saw with Jeremy. He had another great race and finished on the podium. Congratulations to him. So, I think we could have achieved something great today, too. But that’s how it goes in racing, and I always give it my all. That’s the most important thing. Tomorrow is a new day, and I’ll give it my all to show that my Kawasaki is fast, too. But first my thanks to everyone for the support.»

#EstorilWorldSBK - WorldSSP Warm Up 1:
1 Valentin DEBISE / FRA / EASTROC ZXMOTO Evan Bros Factory / ZXMOTO 820RR / 1´39.432
2 Can ÖNCÜ / TUR / Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing / Yamaha YZF-R9 / 1´39.496 +0.064
3 Oliver BAYLISS / AUS / PTR Triumph Factory Racing / Triumph Street Triple 765 RS / 1´39.531 +0.099
…
21 #77 Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / Kawasaki WorldSSP Team / Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636 / 1´40.648 +1.216

#EstorilWorldSBK - WorldSSP Race 1 (18 Laps):
1 Tom BOOTH-AMOS / GBR / PTR Triumph Factory Racing / Triumph Street Triple 765 RS / 30´08.791
2 Oliver BAYLISS / AUS / PTR Triumph Factory Racing / Triumph Street Triple 765 RS / +0.075
3 Jeremy ALCOBA / SPA / Kawasaki WorldSSP Team / Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636 / +0.147
…
26 #77 Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / Kawasaki WorldSSP Team / Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636 / +46.026

WorldSSP Standings:
1 Albert ARENAS / SPA / Yamaha / 364
2 Valentin DEBISE / FRA / ZXMOTO / 275
3 Jaume MASIA/ SPA / Ducati / 229
…
18 #77 Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / Kawasaki / 49

#EstorilWorldSBK - WorldSSP Time Schedule for Sunday October 11th (CEST):
Warm Up 10:35 - 10:45
Race 2 15:00 (18 Laps - 75.276 km)