Chaz Davies was left to rue a pit-stop strategy error as he missed the chance to challenge for victory in the World Superbikes race at Assen.

The Knighton-born rider’s Ducati outfit opted to keep him on the Dutch track three laps longer than his Kawasaki rivals in Sunday’s second race.

But the delay in switching tyres as the track dried out after rain proved costly as he finished fifth with title pacesetter Jonathan Rea leading home team-mate Tom Sykes.

Davies, 29, admitted: “It was a disappointing day. Unfortunately, we didn’t choose the best strategy.

“I thought the Kawasakis pitted in a bit too early, as the track was still slippery, but we waited too long. I’m disappointed, because another good result was within our reach.

“It started off good and we had good pace in the dry and then obviously everybody was in the same conditions, but we ended up just waiting out too long.

“I was waiting for a signal from the pit wall that didn’t come, and then left it a lap too long myself. I didn’t make the call at the right time.

“It’s very difficult to be on the bike and making the call.

“I thought the guys in the box would have more information than we did as regards the guys on intermediates and the guys on slicks, so that’s why I was waiting for the pit signal.

“I thought that was the safest way to play it because I thought people were out on different tyres and they could probably judge it better than me at the front of the race with the rest of the guys on wets.

“In the end it didn’t work out like that but in any case it didn’t work out.

“It’s pretty disappointing for it to play out that way. I feel a bit frustrated that we never really showed what we could during the weekend.

“We never got it right so there’s nobody to blame but ourselves, we’ll move onto the next one.”

Davies, who blasted to a double win in the previous round at Aragon, had finished second in Saturday’s first race to Rea with Sykes crashing out.

But he now trails brother-in-law Rea by 45 points with Sykes 14 points further back in third heading into Ducati’s home race at Imola on Apri 29-May 1.

He added: “The positive thing is that, since the warm-up, we were really competitive and made another step forward in the dry.

“I’m looking forward to Imola, it’s our home race and I hope to make it a memorable one for all the Ducatisti.”