Voltcom Suzuki World Superbike rookie Alex Lowes finished a two-day test at Almeria only seven-tenths of a second slower than Kawasaki's reigning champion Tom Sykes.

The youngster put in a quickest time of 1'34.7 compared to Sykes' 1'34 flat, both set on race tyres, and was only two-tenths outside the time set by second works ZX-10R rider Loris Baz on a qualifier. Both Lowes and team-mateEugene  Laverty had a small crash each but brushed them off quickly.

"Alex continues to impress on all levels. Today was no different, with consistent speed, very few mistakes and clear technical feedback. He is willing to adapt and doesn't expect the perfect motorcycle, he goes fast whatever he's given," said team boss Paul Denning.

"A best lap of 1'34.7, on a race tyre, is nearly 2 seconds faster than we achieved at the start of 2013 and is a positive sign that he will be a contender this season."

Laverty's time wasn't made public but Denning said that after examining his electronics strategy, the Irishman was far happier with setup, if a little slower than Lowes..The team now moves to Portimao to join the rest of the WSBK field, who all got a bit wet today.