Ending Race 2 of a WorldSBK weekend in a battle with Topr💃ak Razgatlioglu is a position most of the Turkish rider's rivals could only dream of for most of the summer, but Nicolo Bulega ended his weekend at Portimao in such a position.

In the final race of the weekend, Bulega finished just 0.035 seconds shy of Razgatlioglu𝔉, who won all three races for the f🌺ourth round in succession.

“Unfortunately, I lost the battle with Toprak for nothing," Bulega told Wor♋ldSBK.com, "but it was my first time here with the Superbike so I’m happy. It’s always nice to be on the podium.”

Bꦡulega had thought that victory was possible against Razgatlioglu, but found his option🍌s for overtaking limited.

“I knew that Toprak was very fast,” Bulega said, “but the last laps I was not too much slower. Two or three laps to go I see the possibility to win, so I try to not lose [too much time] to him. I know that it wa⛎s very difficult to overtake him because he brakes very hard, and the BMW is fast, so it was difficult to overtake him.

“I tried in the only point where I was faster, the last corner, but it was t♛oo late.”

Despiಌte the positive ending, on the podium in second place,💟 it had been a complicated weekend for Bulega from the beginning. “One of the most difficult weekends of my life because from Friday I didn’t feel very good,” the Italian said.

A combination of physical problems and a bike issue in the opening 10 minutes ꦺof FP1 set the Italian off on the back foot in Portimao.

♉“It’s a difficult weekend because I miss FP1 for a technical problem, and also I start the weekend very sick,” said Bulega. “I was at 60 per cent, I was very bad all the weekend. So thanks also to ꦬthe doctors that follow me all the weekend, to my team, to myself, because it was one of the most difficult weekends of my life.”

Bulega is now 92 points behind Razgatlioglu in the championship, himself sitting in second pl🌊ace, ahead of the next round at Magny-Cours, a circuit where he won twice in Supersport last year.

Looking ahead to the French Round, Bulega said: "It will be difficult because Magny-Cours is a technical track, but I like it. Last year, in Supersport, I won both races, but like always this year will be different, but I will try to do my best."