Submitted by David Emmett on
Results and summary of race 1 for the World Superbike class at Portimao:
Max Biaggi won the first race for the World Superbikes at Portimao, after a race-long duel with championship leader Leon Haslam. Biaggi got a rocket start, firing off the line and into the lead at Turn 1, but Leon Haslam was close behind. The Aprilia and Suzuki riders soon dropped the rest of the pack, and started swapping the lead between them.
The race looked like it was going to be decided between these two, but Sterilgarda Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow evidently had other ideas. He started to reel Haslam and Biaggi in, until he made a mistake on lap 10, losing three seconds and losing touch, leaving Biaggi and Haslam to duke it out. Haslam had taken the lead on lap 8 and seemed to be controlling the race, until the Alstare Suzuki man made a mistake on lap 17, allowing Biaggi to get past. The Italian veteran then put the hammer down, and though he got right back on Biaggi, he could not get back past, and was forced to settle for 2nd.
The final podium spot looked like being settled in a straight fight between Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow and Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea after Crutchlow made the mistake that caused him to lose touch with the leaders. But the Yamaha man's push to chase Biaggi and Haslam had taken its toll on his tires, and Crutchlow folded the front with two laps to go, and crashed out of contention, handing the podium spot to Rea on a plate. Crutchlow remounted, but only managed to finish 14th.
Race result:
| Pos | No. | Rider | Country | Bike | Diff |
| 1 | 3 | M. Biaggi | ITA | Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. | |
| 2 | 91 | L. Haslam | GBR | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 0.200 |
| 3 | 65 | J. Rea | GBR | Honda CBR1000RR | 6.901 |
| 4 | 7 | C. Checa | ESP | Ducati 1098R | 7.457 |
| 5 | 2 | L. Camier | GBR | Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. | 7.564 |
| 6 | 67 | S. Byrne | GBR | Ducati 1098R | 11.420 |
| 7 | 52 | J. Toseland | GBR | Yamaha YZF R1 | 18.391 |
| 8 | 41 | N. Haga | JPN | Ducati 1098R | 18.536 |
| 9 | 11 | T. Corser | AUS | BMW S1000 RR | 24.514 |
| 10 | 111 | R. Xaus | ESP | BMW S1000 RR | 32.427 |
| 11 | 84 | M. Fabrizio | ITA | Ducati 1098R | 35.045 |
| 12 | 57 | L. Lanzi | ITA | Ducati 1098R | 36.816 |
| 13 | 50 | S. Guintoli | FRA | Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 36.841 |
| 14 | 35 | C. Crutchlow | GBR | Yamaha YZF R1 | 44.678 |
| 15 | 66 | T. Sykes | GBR | Kawasaki ZX 10R | 44.942 |
| 16 | 31 | V. Iannuzzo | ITA | Honda CBR1000RR | 59.135 |
| 17 | 32 | S. Morais | RSA | Honda CBR1000RR | 59.852 |
| 18 | 95 | R. Hayden | USA | Kawasaki ZX 10R | 1'00.097 |
| 19 | 15 | M. Baiocco | ITA | Kawasaki ZX 10R | 1'10.151 |
| 20 | 99 | L. Scassa | ITA | Ducati 1098R | 6 Laps |
| RET | 88 | A. Pitt | AUS | BMW S1000 RR | 4 Laps |
| RET | 96 | J. Smrz | CZE | Ducati 1098R | 6 Laps |
| RET | 49 | M. Tamada | JPN | BMW S1000 RR | 18 Laps |
| RET | 76 | M. Neukirchner | GER | Honda CBR1000RR | 19 Laps |
