Reigning champ Sykes secures Misano Tissot-Superpole

Misano (Italy) – After another tense but exciting Tissot-Superpole session, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) will start tomorrow’s two 21 lap races at the Misano World Circuit after getting the better of Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) who will join him on the front row.

With 11 riders separated by less than one second during the three Free Practice sessions, it was always going to be a close session and the on track action certainly didn’t disappoint the crowd as several riders took their turn to head the field.

Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) and Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) made it through to the final 15 minute Pole Position shoot-out courtesy of being the fastest two riders in Superpole 1, progressing to join the already seeded top 10 from the combined Free Practice classification. Toni’s time of 1.35.961 was actually the fastest lap of the weekend until the final Pole Position lap eclipsed it.

With five minutes remaining all of the riders ventured back out for their final qualifying push, with Tom Sykes smashing the outright circuit best lap on his way to his 21st career Superpole victory.

Behind the top three, row two tomorrow will see Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) and Toni Elias with Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) lining up on row 3.

The EVO battle was won by Niccolo Canepa who will start both races tomorrow from the fourth row in 10th position overall.

Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) crashed at the end of the session and will therefore start 12th.

Chaz Davies: “I didn’t do a bad lap on the qualifier but it wasn’t great either. I had a little vibration at the rear while braking which didn’t allow me to hold the line the line that I wanted, affecting the grip, and then I also made a small mistake in sector 1. I wasn’t able to get the best out of the qualifier, and am a little frustrated to be on the third row to be honest. Saying that, I’ve come through before and I think we have good pace so we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. I hope it’s not too hot though as that was a problem for us in Malaysia.”

Times: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'34.883 average 160.341 kph; 2. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'35.079; 3. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'35.106; 4. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'35.254; 5. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'35.316; 6. Elias (Aprilia) 1'35.404; 7. Davies (Ducati) 1'35.602; 8. Rea (Honda) 1'35.675; 9. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'36.043; 10. Canepa (Ducati) 1'36.404; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 1'36.489; 12. Haslam (Honda) 1'36.515; 13. Salom (Kawasaki); 14. Baiocco (Ducati); 15. Badovini (Bimota); 16. Corti (MV Agusta); 17. Barrier (BMW); 18. Goi (Ducati); 19. Morais (Kawasaki) 1'37.807; 20. Foret (Kawasaki) 1'38.008.

WSBK