Superpole two
Tom Sykes 1'35.399
Jonathan Rea 1'36.423
Jakub Smrz 1'36.566
Kawasaki's Tom Sykes has marmalised the World Superbike field at a wet Assen today, taking his third pole position in a row with a lap more than a second faster than runner-up Jonathan Rea in a session that was held over two 20 minute periods due to rain.
As the circuit dried, Sykes went out on a qualifier and stuck in a 1'35.399 which is by far the quickest lap of the weekend with Rea's last effort of a 1'36.432 good enough for the next place on the grid. Effenbert Ducati's Jakub Smrz snuck in front of team-mate Sylvain Guintoli with his final circuit so the Frenchman occupies the last front-row spot.
The Czech's lap also knocked reigning champion Carlos Checa back to the second row but his title rival Max Biaggi is on row five after failing to make the cut. BMW Italia's Michel Fabrizio, Leon Haslam and John Hopkins make up the rest of row two.
Superpole one
Sylvain Guintoli 1'38.078
John Hopkins 1'38.875
Carlos Checa 1'38.890
Late laps from Guintoli and then Hopkins pushed Checa down into third spot with the Frenchman putting in a lap of more than three-quarters of a second faster than the field with his final effort even though the rain had begun to come down again.
Haslam was sitting in second but is clearly having problems with the electronics pushing him on in corners, telling his crew that fourth-gear corners feel like is taking them in first but he went thorugh in fourth.
Aprilia's Eugene Laverty crashed unhurt with only a few minutes left to run, losing the front into turn three while Davies survived a massive moment into turn one but didn't avoid the drop. He was one place front of childhood mate Leon Camier, who was 12th after a big highside in second qualifying this morning left him with a bashed ankle and back wheel (see below). Badovini and Berger also went down in the same crash.
ELIMINATED
Marco Melandri
David Salom
Chaz Davies
Leon Camier
Brett McCormick
Eugene Laverty
Maxime Berger
Ayrton Badovini
