For the first time in five years a Kawasaki rider topped the winners' rostrum in a World Superbike race on Sunday. At the Nurburgring Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) produced the first win of his career at the end of a race that was held in dreadful conditions and which produced a number of surprises. The man from Huddersfield was leading the race when the red flags came out on lap 14 due to the heavy rain that had begun to fall just before the start.

The win marked the first victory for Kawasaki since Chris Walker's epic victory back in similar conditions at Assen in 2006 and made it three World Championship successes for the Penrith-based team, adding to Shane Byrne's wild card double at Brands Hatch in 2003 aboard the MonsterMob Ducati.

Tom Sykes: "What a day! My ankle injury from Silverstone was troubling me in the first race and I'll be totally honest and say it affected my performance as the race went on. In race two, conditions were diabolical and it was a battle to stay upright but I kept things smooth and just kept my concentration. In the end it was the right decision to stop the race and I'm delighted to take my first World Superbike Championship victory and to reward the team for all their hard work."

After two Superpoles at Imola last year and Misano this year, Sykes now takes his first win for Paul Bird Motosports, unfortunately during the weekend in which the Akashi-based manufacturer decided not to renew the British team's contract for next year.