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WSBK | SECOND ROW FOR SYKES AT BRANDS

Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes will start tomorrow’s World Superbike double-header at Brands Hatch from second on the grid after securing sixth place in a rain-hit Superpole session.
Sykes held the lead briefly with ten minutes to go, putting in a 1’27.641 but was soon shuffled down the order.
The session was declared dry but then race director Stuart Higgs made the decision to call it a wet qualifying as rain began to fall on parts of the track.
However, as the sesion started, the track was dry and it was a scramble for riders to get out and put in cheeky laps before the rain came down hard. Ten Kate Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari was first out on track but aborted his lap halfway round as he deemed it too wet for slick tyres.
Vent Axis Honda’s Gregorio Lavilla persevered with the conditions and set a lap of 1’36.083 which would have given him pole had it continued to rain.
The whole field retired to the garages and it wasn’t until 22 minutes were left on the clock that Jakob Smrz ventured out and put in a tentative lap, clocking 1’29.362. This was the signal everyone was looking for normal service resumed.
Sykes found himself in front of Troy Bayliss for a lap and just as Bayliss made a move to pass him into Paddock, the later-than-God-on-the-brakes Huddersfield rider was first to turn in and Bayliss gave it up as a bad job running up the hill into Druids.
Xaus followed Corser to the number one spot, the former crashing out with three minutes to go, and then Smrz put in two consecutive laps, some of which he spent on wet rumble strips kicking up roostertails of water, to head the timesheets.
In the end, it came down to Bayliss and Haga to fight it out for pole with the affable Aussie pipping the Japanese in the final seconds.
Kiyonari said: "I am happy with today, bike this weekend is good. I try to go more fast".
Haga said: "My feelinigs is not too bad during this weekend, finally got strong position, very happy. Today some rain, I don’t like rain, I don’t have rain settings for here. Finally riding in right condition and I have got my settings. Tomorrow will be a tough race, Kiyonari fast lap time and also Troy [Bayliss]".
Pole man Bayliss said: "Today has gone very good for me, yesterday we were struggling a little. Kiyonari san was very fast straight out the box, I knew he was very fast here, but he is fast every where. Also with the guys coming back from the eight hour Suzuka they always come back really fit".
"We made some changes to the bike, I was really comfortable and I had a good race pace. Going on the battles I’ve had here before I am expecting the three of us to have a big battle and hopefully you lot will have a lot of fun".

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