Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio has set the fastest time in the World Superbike first free practice at Monza, seeing off late challenges by the Sterilgarda Yamaha team-mates Ben Spies and Tom Sykes.
The Italian was on top of the timesheets for the last 15 minutes of the hour-long session but late laps by Spies, who briefly knocked him off the number one spot, and Sykes threw down a gauntlet.
Fabrizio then went quickest again with his last lap, a 1'46.177 and the two Yamahas ran out of time as the chequered flag came out. Spies was a quarter of a second in arrears while Sykes was just five one-hundredths slower than the American.
Alstare Suzuki's Max Neukirchner occupies the fourth fastest position with team-mate Yukio Kagayama just behind him. Championship leader Noruyuki Haga is sixth quickest, just half a second slower than Fabrizio while a late charge by the Ten Kate Hondas saw Ryuichi Kiyonari and Carlos Checa claw their way into seventh and eighth spots.
Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Byrne is the next fastest Briton in tenth place, with Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam in close attendance, a tenth of a second covering the three former British Superbike men.
Althea Honda's Tommy Hill finished the session in 18th place, just behind Max Biaggi and Ruben Xaus with Stiggy Honda new-boy Jake Zemke, who is standing in for the injured John Hopkins, placing 23rd.
