Aprilia’s Sylvain Guintoli took an early advantage over 2014 World Superbike title rival Tom Sykes in this morning’s opening free practice session at Magny-Cours, beating the Kawasaki man to top spot by three-tenths of a second and the pair are already close to Sykes’ 2013 lap record.
Reigning champion Sykes had led for almost the whole 45-minute period with Frenchman Guintoli in his wake - even building a 1.1s gap early on - but it was the RSV4 rider’s final lap of 1’38.366 which set the mark compared to Sykes’ 1’38.652, set on his fourth lap of 19. The pair are already well under Sykes’ 2013 lap record
Guintoli’s team-mate Marco Melandri eventually got third, deposing Pata Honda’s Leon Haslam with only a couple of minutes left but are the fat end of seven-tenths slower than the leader while departing Voltcom Suzuki rider Eugene Laverty spend much of the early session in the pits before coming out to stick in a 1’39.047 for fifth place.
Davide Guigliano was the first of the works Ducatis in sixth place, one ahead of Alex Lowes who is having to learn the track but managed to bag a good final lap for seventh with a 1’39.316 to head both Jonathan Rea and native Loris Baz.
Red Devils Aprilia man Toni Elias completed the top ten with Chaz Davies the only Brit outside it. The Welshman finished in 11th on a 1’39.842, 1.476s off the pace. Ducati wildcards Max Neukirchner and Xavier Fores were next along.
Sylvain Barrier was uncharacteristically slow on the Evo BMW S1000RR, ending in 20th place and a second behind Evo leader David Salom on the Kawasaki.
