STK1000: De Rosa Triumphs at Assen
Althea BMW rider takes a stunning victory in chaotic race
Raffaele de Rosa earned an impressive first win of the year in the STK1000 race in Assen, with the Italian coming home just over ten seconds clear. The Althea BMW rider now heads the Cup standings after 2 Rounds, with some key competitors suffering a tough race in the Netherlands.
In difficult drying conditions that awarded good tyre choices, De Rosa headed Jeremy Guarnoni and Michael Ruben Rinaldi to take the victory after the race was restarted twice.
“We were lucky because after the two red flags the track was drying out and I knew we could be fast,” explained De Rosa. “We started with a full-slick configuration and it was clear I was quicker than I had been before, with the wet set-up. I was able to maintain a strong pace, keep focused, and I'm really pleased with the result. We needed this first win and I want to dedicate it to the team, to my family and to my personal trainer. We go to Imola with more confidence."
Imola sees STK1000 back on track for De Rosa’s home Italian Round on the 29th of April, as the WorldSBK paddock touches down in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
