Kawasaki's Tom Sykes has let the fastest World Superbike lap time ahead of this afternoon's final qualifying session at Misano, putting in a blistering 1'35.934 to go ahead of reigning champion Carlos Checa's Althea Ducati.

The Spaniard was shadowed by his team-mate Davide Guigliano, just two-tenths slower than the veteran, but Honda's Jonathan Rea, in fourth, looks to be the Checa's biggest threat. Both riders put down nine laps in the 1'36s bracket, the fastest being a 1'36.315, whereas Checa's quickest was a 1'36.098. Sykes got in a couple on the Kawasaki but 1'37s seem to be his pace.

Fifth fastest man Leon Haslam had three 1'36s laps but a ton of 1'37s while his team-mate Marco Melandri is doing 1'37s laps all day - which just might not be good enough in Italy tomorrow and his best was a 1'36.749, a little over eight-tenths slower than Sykes - a rival for the championship lead.

Jakub Smrz was sixth on the timesheet with Matteo Baiocco, on the Barni Ducati, pulled a lap from nowhere to bag seventh. Leon Camier qualifies for Superpole in eighth and is seven-tenths down while Sylvain Guintoli and Eugene Laverty round out the top ten. Loris Baz was the last man to make this afternoon's final timed session so John Hopkins and Chaz Davies miss out.

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