Nicolo Bulega will start the third round of the 2023 WorldSSP Championship from pole position after timing his charge just right in qualifying at Assen.

The Italian - championship leader after two events following his double victory at the season opener in Australia - kept plugging on as conditions improved following morning rain, with his 1m 36.900secs lap coming on a dry track.

He was also the only rider to dip below 1m 37secs with second place man Federico Caricasulo ending the session two tenths down to complete a Ducati 1-2.

Leading Yamaha rider Glenn van Straalen completed the front row, just ahead of Valentin Debise, the Frenchman surging to fourth with his final flying lap despite a remonstration with Ten Kate's Stefano Manzi.

Can Oncu ran in provisional pole for a time until he folded the front-end of his Puccetti Kawasaki and it folded into Turn 1 with ten minutes remaining.

Nevertheless, the Turkish rider will start in fifth place, ahead of Italian trio Raffaele de Rosa, Yari Montella and Manzi, the Italian facing a challenge in eighth as pole man Bulge's closest title rival.

Marcel Schroetter was the best placed MV Agusta rider in ninth, while Jorge Navarro completed the top ten.

Best placed of the four British riders was Tom Booth-Amos, who is making his first appearance of the season on the Motozoo Kawasaki, in 17th, while Tarran Mackenzie continued to ride around the issues of Petronas MIE Honda CBR600RR in 21st position.

Behind them, Phillip Island podium winner John McPhee will start 25th, with Triumph's Harry Truelove 27th in the 31-strong field.

2023 WorldSSP Qualifying Results - Assen