After reaching the cusp of the podium in the opening three rounds of the season Nicky Hayden happily walks away from Assen with a maiden World Superbike ꦺrostrum and a healthy helping of championship points.

The 2006 MotoGP champion claimed his first podium result in over five years - 2011 Spanish MotoGP when he finished third - and it mꦯarks his maiden WSBK rostrum since making the switching between series over the winter.

Hayden had been battling in the hotly-contested front pack throughout race one at Assen but after having a nervy moment at turn five and seeing his team-mate Michael van der Mar🌄k tumble out of contention on the penultimate lap the American says he played safe to secure third place.

"Towards the end [of race one], I started to feel more comfortable with the bike and conditions, so I thought I could find something e🐈xtra in the final two laps," Hayden said. "Just after Michael's crash I had a moment at turn five, so I thought it was better to ride home in third. It's my maiden WSBK podium and the first one in a long time, so I want to thank the team for the great work."

Aiming to replicate the performance in Sunday's race Hꦏayden endured trickier conditions in a race which began wet but dried up throughout.

Hayden was part of the trio of leadi🉐ng riders with Josh Brookes and Chaz Davies to stay out too long on the dry tyres which cost them🐽 valuable time once the pit stops had taken effect and he trailed to a distant sixth place.

"I can't say I'm happy with sixth as I felt I could have finished in a much higher position," he said. "I got another great start, I went from tenth to fourth just on the first lap and everything fe🥂lt right. This was the first race for me in the wet in Superbike and with these tyres, so that put a smile on my face.

"Then, when the sun came out, the track started to dry really quickly. I was feeling really good and I guess that🦹 made me stay out on track for a bit too long before I pitted. Even when I got back on track I could not get up to speed immediately, as for the first time I was riding a bike with a wet setup on slick tyres. At some stage I found my rhythm and went past Lowes, but then the gap to Davies was simply too big."

Hayd🍷en regained fifth place in the World Superbike riders' championship from Jordi Torres and closed the gap to van der Mark to 23 points.