Sykes Takes Pole Total To 36

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) put in his sixth pole position performance of the season with a new track best of 1’34.037, set right the end of a delayed Superpole 2 session.

The 2013 champion held off his team-mate Jonathan Rea to second place by 0.220 seconds, with the sensational privateer Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) third.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) placed his Yamaha fourth, Lorenzo Savadori (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) was fifth at home and Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) was top Honda runner – sixth pre-race one after being fastest man on day one.

Despite crashing early in the session, Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) recovered to start from seventh place on the grid. Superpole 1 qualifier, like Lorenzo, Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) moved up to eighth place at the end of Superpole 2, one place ahead of the out-of-sorts Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in ninth place, and on the third row.

Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) led the first of four BMWs on the grid, by finishing ahead of day one fast competitor Markus Reiterberger (Althea BMW Racing Team) and his team-mate Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team).

By Gordon Ritchie