Tom Sykes takes home another Tissot watch with new Superpole and record at Portimao

from Twowheelsblog

Portimao may be in Portugal but many riders consider the Algarve circuit an English-style track. After SP1 that saw Jules Cluzel head the first timesheets, but the start of SP2 was red flagged, interrupted by a brief rain shower and was restarted under the wet rules and became a single 20 minute session with no further knockouts.

In these risky and slippery conditions, the riders had the arduous decision in whether to use their qualifying tires immediately or wait until the finale and risk that the rain could return and not be able to use them became fundamental, but with ten minutes left in the session the sun came out and immediately taking advantage of the improved conditions was Tom Sykes.

The Kawasaki rider blasted out a 1.41.360 breaking last year’s lap record that was his which that put him into tomorrow’s pole position for the fifth time this year, but in this occasion Sykes wasn’t the usual superpole machine, as Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty was second and just 0.001s adrift!

Taking off on the first row with the Kawasaki and Aprilia riders will be the Jonathan Rea on his Pata Honda.

Marco Melandri took the fourth spot on the grid, ahead of Sylvain Guintoli who will have his hands full to keep the standings lead against Sykes and Laverty who were fast not only in Superpole, but the two also have a very good race pace.

Loris Baz will take off on the second row in sixth. Carlos Checa was seventh, but he was a massive 1″045 Sykes, but the Ducati rider was faster than Cluzel and a trio of Italians, formed by Michel Fabrizio in 9th, Ayrton Badovini who closed out the top ten.

Davide Giugliano lost the front of his Aprilia in his first flying lap and crashed out, but he was able to return to track and qualify 11th and on the fourth row together with Chaz Davies.

2013 WSBK Portimao Superpole results:

1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′41.360
2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′41.361
3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 1′41.787
4. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1′42.115
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′42.209
6. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1′42.328
7. Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1′42.405
8. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′42.645
9. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1′43.032
10. Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1′43.057