Leon Camier completed an amazing return from the serious knee injury he suffered two weeks ago to record two top-nine finishes at today’s two World Superbikes races at Assen.

Camier saved the best until the second race where he got a great start from 18th on the grid to be up in 11th by the end of lap one. He continued to progress through the field as he chased team-mate Jules Cluzel, before the pair got involved in a inter-team battle through the mid-part of the race.

Camier and Cluzel swapped places a number of times as they jostled for seventh position, before Camier got the better of his team-mate and held on to that place for the remainder of the race. Unfortunately for Cluzel he couldn’t challenge the Englishman again, because an electronic throttle system problem caused him to retire on lap-16.

Camier had already shown huge determination in race one, as he got a good start and was in 12th by the end of the first lap. He again made his way through the field before getting involved with ex-World Champion Carlos Checa.

The FIXI Suzuki racer on his Yoshimura-powered machine, made a brave and fast pass on the inside of the Spaniard through a left-hand turn – with his injured knee firmly placed on the asphalt. Camier then held his position for the rest of the race and brought his bike home in ninth.

Speaking at the end of the day, the Ashford rider was thrilled with how he had done considering it looked unlikely he would race at all at the start of the week:

“I am really happy considering the way everything has gone this weekend. In the first race we changed the set-up dramatically from the warm-up and took a gamble, but then in the second race we changed it a lot again, but this time we made it feel more like the bike I am used to.”

“I felt like I had the pace to run towards the front and I was making some big passes in race two and then got caught up with Jules and he really battled me. I got frustrated because I thought I could have got to the front group, but we lost out a bit and then I was in a sort of a race of my own.”

“If I could have got to the group ahead I think I would have been comfortable and probably got a good result. Overall I am happy, even though at the end of the race my leg and body felt as if they were in bits; I was just pleased to finish both races.”

FIXI Crescent Suzuki will now return to the workshop in England before heading to Monza in Italy for the fourth round of the season on Sunday May 12th.

Assen – eni FIM Superbike – Race One: 1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’35.893: 2. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +8.786: 3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +8.792: 4. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) +9.225: 5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +14.231. 8. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +24.751: 9. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +30.311.

Assen – eni FIM Superbike – Race Two: 1. Laverty 1’38.085; 2. Sykes +0.089: 3. Baz +5.848: 4. Rea +5.890: 5. Chaz Davies (BMW) +7.359. 7. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) +21.095. DNF. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki).

Championship Classification: 1. Guintoli 111: 2. Laverty 83: 3. Davies 83: 4. Sykes 83: 5. Rea 63. 9. Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 41: 11. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 30.