Tom Sykes

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Tom Sykes is a motorcycle road racer born 19th August 1985 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. In 2008 he joined the Rizla Suzuki team, after success on a semi-works Honda in 2007.

He raced in the British Supersport championship from 2003 to 2006, finishing as runner-up to Cal Crutchlow in the last of these.

2007 was his first season in the British Superbike championshiph, riding for the Stobart Vent-Axia Honda team alongside 2003 series champion Shane Byrne. He finished 18 of the first 20 rounds, including a pair of 4th places at Snetterton [1]and .second on the grid at Oulton Park [2], and pole at Donington Park [3]. Sykes took his first two podiums at the Croft circuit, to move up to 6th in the championship, immediately behind Byrne, and immediately ahead of Leon Camier on another Honda.

Shortly after joining Rizla Suzuki, he tested a Suzuki MotoGP bike. [4] In 2008 he took pole position at Oulton Park/ He crashed at the aborted start of race 1, but finished 5th on the restart [5]. He lead race 2 until being taken out by Leon Haslam, who was excluded for the move.