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Qatar WSBK: Rea bags pole with fastest-ever lap

Reigning World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea has taken pole for the two season-ending races in Qatar, blitzing the outright lap record by more than half a second.

Rea came out on top after a flurry of fastest laps saw top pole exchanged four times in the space of a minute but it was Rea’s 1’56.356 that was enough to claim bragging rights.

Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes set the pace in Superpole two early doors with a 1’57.616 marker, before Rea went underneath it as Althea BMW’s Jordoi Torres and Chaz Davies claimed a provisional front row.

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After the pack pitted for a short break and fresh tyres, Torres was quickest out of the blocks and bagged top spot with a 1’57.485 but he was quickly demoted by Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark’s 1’57.126.

However, team-mate Nicky Hayden was the first man under the 1’57s barrier with a 1’56.591 that looked like it was good enough. Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes shot into second with a 1’57.014 but he was quickly pushed down by Sykes’ 1’56.935.

Sylvain Guintoli, on the second crisp R1, bagged second shortly after on a 1’56.866 but Rea was on a flier and cemented his advantage over Sykes with a lap half a second under the Huddersfield man’s 1’56.821 set in qualifying last year.

Chaz Davies’ final lap was enough to clinch third and the last on the front row as he just Guintoli into fourth by a quarter of a second.

Sykes ended next to him on row two with Lowes sixth. Xavi Fores finished in seventh, Lorenzo Savadori eighth and Van Der Mark slipped to ninth with Torres in tenth.

Davide Giugliano will not be best pleased with 11th while Leon Camier finished in 12th place. The MV Agusta man couldn’t match his pace from free practice two in Superpole.

Raffaele De Rosa ended in 13th place, one ahead of Josh Brookes while Leon Haslam put the Pedercini Kawasaki in 16th place, one behind Alex De Angelis.

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