Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea has set the quickest lap in the opening World Superbike free practice session at Magny-Cours this morning, just nipping ahead of Stiggy Honda's Leon Haslam with his final circuit.

Haslam had set the quickest time with five minutes left of the hour-long session, going round in 1'40.213 but Rea managed a 1'39.984 with three minutes left on the clock was the only man under the 1'40 bracket.

Rea began the session fastest, starting out with a 1'44.223 which he reduced to 1'42.131, knocking his other team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari off the top spot. Fellow Japanese Yukio Kagayama, on the Alstare Suzuki, then went quickest with a 1'41.961 which Kiyonari then bettered before falling off.

Haga's team-mate Michel Fabrizio had a brief foray to the top of the timesheet before being deposed by Checa who was then pushed into second by Haga after he lapped in 1'40.633.

Sterilgarda Yamaha's Ben Spies was the next man to go quickest with a 1'40.618 before Haga was back at the top some 15 minutes later. DFX Ducati's Fonsi Nieto shocked the paddock when he went fastest on a 1'40.316.

He remained there until the dying minutes when Haslam came out for his final run of laps, and was then demoted to fifth by Rea and Haga's laps. Shane Byrne was the next quickest Brit in 10th and Tom Sykes finished the session in 12th, nine-tenths off the pace.

The 2009 British Superbike Champion Leon Camier, who is making his debut on the factory Aprilia this weekend, ended the morning in 17th ahead of the works Kawasaki of Broc Parkes.

Camier hadn't even sat on the bike until he arrived in France yesterday and to only be 1.4s off the pace after an hour of riding is some achievement for the Kent youngster.
Click here for times