Nicolo Bulega emerged victorious in WorldSBK Race 1 at the Acerbis French Round, held at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours on Saturday. The win came after a dramatic race that was halted by a red flag and resumed with a tense restart.
His Aruba.it Racing Ducati teammate, Iker Lecuona, had to settle for second place, while Sam Lowes completed the podium. The race was split into two parts following a heavy incident on lap nine.
Red Flag Drama and Fierce Duel After Restart
From the initial start, Bulega immediately took the lead but faced strong opposition from Lecuona, who briefly took over the top spot on lap two. Bulega struck back a lap later, setting up a thrilling battle at the front with Sam and Alex Lowes.
On lap nine, the race was red-flagged after Tommy Bridewell suffered a heavy crash at Turn 14. His bike hit the airfence hard, leaving debris on track. Bridewell was conscious and taken to the medical center for checks, with only a cut lip reported.
The race then resumed with a rolling start over twelve laps. Lecuona immediately applied pressure and led on the first lap after the restart, but Bulega responded quickly, retaking the lead one lap later.
Bulega Pulls Away to Seal Victory
Once back in front, Bulega gradually extended his advantage over Lecuona. The gap widened in the final laps, and he crossed the line with a lead of over three seconds. Sam Lowes secured third place, ahead of Yari Montella and Alex Lowes, who completed the top five.
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