Chaz Davies secures podium during controversial round in Argentina

Track conditions at the San Juan Villicum circuit on Saturday were the big talking point as several riders, including Mid Wales star Davies, decided not to enter the race.

Davies' Aruba.it Racing–Ducati team-mate, Álvaro Bautista, chose to ride and came away with a win during race one, having started from pole position after clinching his fourth Superpole trophy of the season.

The precarious conditions of the asphalt were not considered to be conducive to racing by several riders, with 32-year-old Davies, from Presteigne, not making the start line for safety reasons.

It meant plenty of controversy surrounded the opening race as confusion reigned with those who decided not to race angry at those who did.

Davies said: "Firstly, I’m disappointed with the way this day was managed.

"In my opinion it was important all the riders were united but unfortunately this didn’t happen.

"Fifteen out of the 18 riders weren’t intending to take part in the race because of the difficult track conditions.

"Unfortunately, five minutes before the start, some of them probably felt pressure to go on track, going against the decision taken before all together.

"We had proposed modifying the schedule and do two long races (on Sunday) to give the organisers the opportunity to improve the track conditions but our wishes weren’t taken into account.

"From my point of view, safety is paramount and in certain situations they have to listen more to the views of the riders.

"All this should be considered in a constructive manner to improve in the future.

"We already discussed this issue in the various meetings of the Safety Commission.

"I’m sorry but it’s a shame to come and race at this fantastic circuit and find ourselves in this situation. Now let’s forget about today and focus on tomorrow’s races.”

Davies returned to action on Sunday, firstly bringing his bike home in fourth place during the points-scoring Superpole race followed by a superb second in the final main race of the day.

Track conditions were deemed much better, due to the cooler temperatures, which helped Davies recover from a poor start, from fourth on the grid, to cut through the pack eventually finishing five seconds behind the winner and five-time world champion, Jonathan Rea.

“It was a really good way to finish the weekend," said Davies.

"In the Superpole race, I was able to finish in fourth place, which put me on the second row of the grid for race two.

"Unfortunately, in the second race I made a bad start and I was swamped by several riders at the first corner.

"I felt comfortable enough however and began to pick my way through the pack.

"When I got up to second place the gap to Jonathan was almost three seconds and although I closed it down a bit it was impossible to get any closer to him.

"Pity because I think if I had been there from the beginning it might have been a nice race.

"However, we were competitive on another track, that’s four or five now where we’ve been near or on the podium.

"A big thanks to the team for their work but also for standing by me yesterday. Hopefully now we can go to Qatar and continue the momentum to finish the season strong.”

The result leaves Davies seventh with in the championship on 249 points, with Rea's Kawsaki team-mate Leon Haslam on 239 in sixth.

The final round of the 2019 World Superbike series takes place at the Losail circuit, in Qatar, October 24-26.