Max Biaggi has taken out the first World Superbike Championship race of the season at Phillip Island.
The Italian led home Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) by a comfortable 7s, with Sylvian Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) third.
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) crashed out of the race while leading, suffering a fast high-side fall on the final corner early in the race.
Spots of rain appeared at two separate stages but to no real effect for the majority of the riders and it continued as a dry race.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) took fourth place after leading early on, with Jakub Smrz fifth on his Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati.
Bryan Starring was the first of the Aussies in 10th place on his Team Pedercini Kawasaki, while Josh Brookes (Crescent Fixi Suzuki), Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea BMW) and David Johnson (Rossair BMW) finished 16th, 18th and 19th respectively.
Here is the video of the Checa crash