Rea takes victory at Portimao
His win and fifth place in race one closes the gap to within one point of Loris Baz in third.
The 27-year-old East Antrim rider was never headed in the race, which was reduced from a scheduled 20 to 18 laps after rain fell on the 4.592km circuit.
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Hide AdThe win marked Rea’s eighth podium at Portimao in the seven years that SBK has been visiting the circuit, but it was his first victory here.
Said Rea: “When I heard the rain on my motorhome roof as I watched a bit of the Tour de France ahead of race two, I started getting a little bit giddy and singing as I was getting changed! I knew that it was a chance for me.”
He added: “The track had started to dry out a bit and we were really suffering with corner exit but, although the conditions were a great leveler for all riders, it’s nice to take a win. I’d prefer to take it in the dry and we can’t get too excited because it’s a wet win; but we’ll take them any way we can and it’s 25 points not just for me but for the whole team.”