Cluzel wins in Argentina to set up three-way WorldSSP title showdown

Full Argentina World Supersport race results

Jules Cluzel has claimed victory in Argentina to keep his World Supersport title hopes alive as both Randy Krummenacher and Federico Caricasulo finished down the order to set up a championship showdown in Qatar.

Cluzel set a blistering pace after storming into the lead down the back straight on Lap 2, passing GMT94 Yamaha team-mate and pole-sitter Corentin Perolari, with the experienced World Supersport challenger darting clear to take his second victory of the season.

The win sees the French rider retain his World Supersport title hopes as he trails championship leader Krummenacher by 22 points going to the season finale.

Krummenacher struggled to replicate the front-running pace while late contact with Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha team-mate Caricasulo shuffled him down to seventh place at the finish.

Caricasulo took advantage by trimming Krummenacher’s lead down to eight points thanks to his fifth-place result in Argentina, but will see it as a missed opportunity having been running in second place until a mistake at Turn 1 on Lap 13.

That error allowed Lucas Mahias to charge into second place which he retained to the chequered flag, maintaining his current run of five consecutive podiums for the Puccetti Kawasaki team, as Isaac Vinales completed the podium on the Kallio Racing Yamaha.

Pole-sitter Perolari ended an eventful race in fourth place for GMT94 Yamaha to mark his best result in his rookie World Supersport campaign ahead of Caricasulo, MV Agusta’s Raffele De Rosa and Krummenacher.

Further back Thomas Gradinger claimed eighth place for Kallio Racing Yamaha as Pedercini Kawasaki duo Kyle Smith and Ayrton Badovini rounded out the top 10.