Andrew Pitt has won the World Supersport Championship after his closest rival Jonathan Rea was eliminated from action at Magny-Cours.

Rea entered the race determined to keep the title fight alive heading into the final round of the season in Portugal, but despite disputing the lead with his team-mate in the early stages, his hopes would be ended by a desperate move by Robbin Harms.

From the start, Rea led away after pole sitter Broc Parkes failed to get away well, although Pitt would get the better of him before the lap was out. Although briefly overtaken by Joan Lascorz, the Spaniard would run off the circuit on lap three and put himself out of the running.

Rea briefly re-took the lead on lap two, but despite their position at the front of the field, neither of the Ten Kate riders were able to make the race their own, with the two Hoegee Suzukis, the Stiggy Hondas and Parkes' recovering Yamaha keeping them honest.

Barry Veneman on the Suzuki was more attacking then most though, passing Rea for second place on lap six before going on to snatch the lead off Pitt before the lap was out too. Rea nearly got it back with a daring move from fourth at the Adelaide hairpin, although he would be re-passed on the exit by Veneman.

Unfortunately, the proximity of the bikes was making things rather close amongst the leading pack and some kind of clash seemed rather inevitable. And it happened on lap ten when Harms attempted to dive down the inside of Parkes at Adelaide, only to swipe the rear wheel of Rea's Honda and send him tumbling down.

Also eliminating Harms and Parkes, who had nowhere to go, while Rea managed to get going again, it would nonetheless signal he end of his title fight.

With his main opposition out of the running, Pitt began to relax, taking the lead off Veneman on lap 11 and then again on lap 15 when the Dutchman went back through a lap later.

Not that Pitt's title win was a foregone conclusion as Josh Brookes began to come into contention, the Aussie rider threatening to put the title one point out of his countryman's reach.