Rea clinches last lap win, Biaggi on podium

Jonathan Rea has taken a dramatic 12th World Superbike Championship win of the season after snatching victory from Chaz Davies on the final lap in Sepang, while Max Biaggi claimed a rewarding podium.

In a race of two halves as certain riders did a better job of looking after their tyres in scorching weather conditions, Tom Sykes looked set for a dominant return to winning ways as he scolded into the lead from the opening bend.

Indeed, Sykes was in a class of his own in the opening laps, pulling out an advantage of three seconds, with Chaz Davies and the fast-starting Rea slipping back into their own tussle for second position, the Welshman steadfast in his defence.

However, the race would begin to come back to the pair as Sykes began to suffer tyre problems in the final five laps, the severity of which is measured by the fact that lead was swallowed up in less than two laps as he proceeded to plummet down the order.

It meant the engrossing battle for second was now for the lead, Davies continuing to resist Rea all the way to the final lap when the Ulsterman finally planted a pass into the turn four left-hander. The drama wasn't quite over though as Rea, having struggled on the brakes into the final turn, proceeded to out-brake himself once again, allowing Davies up the inside just metres from the chequered flag.

However, Rea would collect his bike for the stronger switch-back allowing him to win the drag to the line and complete an unlikely win from seventh place on the grid.

With Sykes tumbling down the order, Biaggi showed all of his experience to work his way up to a popular third place finish, passing the ailing Kawasaki on the final lap to leave his mark on his 'comeback tour'.

Sylvain Guintoli also got the better of Sykes for a hard fought fourth, while Sykes - whose final lap was ten seconds slower than what he was previously lapping - was left a disgruntled fifth.

Alex Lowes was another to make late gains, beating Leon Haslam to sixth, while the hapless Randy de Puniet saw his hopes of a first top ten finish since the season opener go to waste when he ran off at the final corner, dropping to 12th.

Instead, Matteo Baioccco, Niccolo Canepa and Jordi Torres - another to suffer with fading tyres having run fourth - completed the top ten.