Santander Yamaha’s Noriyuki Haga was quickest in today’s rain-lashed first World Superbike qualifying session with most riders only completing a handful of laps.

David Checa set the inital pace with Lorenzo Lanzi second and Carlos Checa in third. Haga’s team-mate Troy Corser was fourth but more than a second off Checa’s pace.

With 20 minutes of the session gone, Roberto Rolfo went to the top of the timesheets with a 1’41.681 lap, just four-tenths faster than second-placed man Fonsi Nieto.

It took Haga another couple of laps go get up to pace before he set the pole time of 1’41.012 with Carlos Checa second and Corser in third. Xerox Ducati’s Troy Bayliss managed his fastest lap with 22 minutes gone, a 1’41.020 which was good enough for second.

The rain then came down heavily and all the riders retired to the garages,

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