Chaz Davies aims to consolidate his second place in the World Superbikes Championship in France this weekend as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury.
The Knighton-born rider leads Michael van der Mark by 20 points with 150 points left to race for in the battle to finish runner-up behind Jonathan Rea.
Ulsterman Rea can become the first rider to win four titles on the trot – and match the tally of Carl Fogarty – in France as he leads the standings by a huge 114 points from his aruba.it Racing Ducati rival.
Davies is confident of battling for the podium having been hampered at the last round in Portugal – finishing a brave fourth in both races – by the collarbone he bust twice during the summer break.
The 31-year-old said: “We’ve done well at Magny Cours in the past couple of years. We always had a good pace, winning three races out of four.
“I enjoy the track, it’s quite basic but also technical, with a lot of tight turns. It forces you to push more each lap, trying to turn quicker or brake deeper, and it presents different challenges compared with most other circuits on the calendar.
“Physically, I’m feeling a bit better, stronger and with less pain compared with Portimão. In the last few days the collarbone hasn’t given me any trouble in day-to-day activities, so I hope the weather stays consistent and we’ll try to get the most out of our time on track.”
The final two rounds are in Argentina and Qatar.
Circuit information
Country: France
Name: Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Length: 4.411 km
Corners: 17 (8 left, 9 right)
Pole position: right
Race distance: 21 laps/92.631 km
RECORDS
Fastest lap: Sykes (Kawasaki), 1:36.366 (164,780 km/h) – 2014
Circuit record: Sykes (Kawasaki), 1:37.864 (162,262 km/h) – 2016
Superpole: Sykes (Kawasaki), 1:36.366 (164,780 km/h) – 2014
2018 RESULTS
Race 1: Rea (Kawasaki), Melandri (Ducati), Sykes (Kawasaki)
Race 2: Davies (Ducati), Lowes (Yamaha), VD Mark (Yamaha)
Rider information
Chaz Davies
Bike: Ducati Panigale R
Race number: 7
SBK races: 172
SBK wins: 29
SBK podiums: 78