Effenbert Ducati's Sylvain Guintoli has kept his provisional pole position ahead of this afternoon's World Superbike Superpole at Assen after a wet second qualifying saw times from yesterday's brief early-session dry spell stand.
Riders got a short window in the first session before the heavens opened and Guintoli took full advantage but this morning's timed period saw his team-mate Jakub Snmrz splash into top spot with a 1'55.659. Leon Haslam gave chase on the BMW S1000RR and is a little over two-tenths behind with fellow Briton Tom Sykes in third place.
The rain means that title challenger Max Biaggi will start from the fifth row of the grid tomorrow as he could only muster 17th fastest in the dry. However, after his charge from the back of the grid at Phillip Island, this could mean nothing...
Former MotoGP man Nico Canepa was fourth but a massive 1.8s off the pace with Jonathan Rea fifth. The Honda man crashed unhurt at the hairpin after putting in his time, which was less than one one-hundredth behind the Italian. Reigning champion Carlos Checa was sixth with Ayrton Badovini and Guintoli next along but 2.6s in arrears.
Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty rounded out the top ten with Max Biaggi finding a little pace in the wet conditions to take him to 13th. Chaz Davies ended the session in 16th while Leon Camier, third yesterday, is in 18th with team-mate John Hopkins 21st.
