Maiden World Superbike pole for Loris Baz

Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) will start both of tomorrow’s 21-lap races from pole position after securing the first Tissot-Superpole of his career today at Assen, courtesy of his 1’34.357 lap time (a new outright best lap of the circuit) set moments before the arrival of the rain.

As we have seen already this season under the new format, the 15 minute shootout is proving to be a close and exciting addition to the Tissot-Superpole and in today’s shootout it was the turn of Baz to shine.

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Sylvain Guintoli.

Loris Baz: “I am not sure why my lap time was so good but I had been feeling good all weekend and I was just missing one or two tenths from yesterday. I managed to do a good race simulation this morning but I was missing nearly every lap one or two tenths. I think at the beginning of Superpole I improved maybe six tenths over my best lap of the weekend. So I think we found something with my bike on a race tyre. Superpole was just perfect. I knew it was going to rain so I just pushed as hard as I could and I am really happy with this performance.”

Joining Baz on the front row tomorrow will be fellow Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), with Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) forming the second row.

Tom Sykes: “We timed it well to get our race laps and qualifying laps in but the rain came a little bit too early for us in Superpole. It is a shame because I feel the qualifying tyre is my favourite one of the weekend because we really get to push the limits of the Ninja ZX-10R. Loris made a great job and he is starting on his first pole position but for us I think a front row start is what we need to be focusing on.

Tomorrow hopefully we will get a good start and go racing twice and see what we can make of it. We will wake up tomorrow morning and see what we are blessed with for weather. Either way we will go racing. We are racing in a world championship and fighting for a world title so if it is wet or dry we are going to have to deal with it. Either way I feel we have a strong package with both myself and the bike.”

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Ducati’s Niccolo Canepa.

In the EVO category Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) was the fastest qualifier in 7th position overall, improving over a second on his morning time.

Superpole 1 saw Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) and Marco progress into the final fifteen minute shootout with the other ten already seeded riders following Free Practice.

Qualifying Results
1. Loris Baz FRA Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 34.357s
2. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Aprilia Racing RSV4 1m 34.845s
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 35.311s
4. Marco Melandri ITA Aprilia Racing RSV4 1m 35.333s
5. Jonathan Rea GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR 1m 35.361s
6. Davide Giugliano ITA Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R 1m 35.476s
7. Niccolo Canepa ITA Althea Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1m 35.500s (E)
8. Eugene Laverty IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 35.646s
9. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 35.684s
10. Toni Elias ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1m 36.203s
11. Leon Haslam GBR PATA Honda CBR1000RR 1m 36.284s
12. Chaz Davies GBR Ducati SBK 1199 Panigale R 1m 36.288s
Grid positions previously determined by SP1
13. Leon Camier GBR BMW Italia S1000RR 1m 36.434s (E)
14. Ayrton Badovini ITA Bimota Alstare BB3 1m 36.547s (E)
15. David Salom ESP Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 36.749s (E)
16. Christian Iddon GBR Bimota Alstare BB3 1m 36.772s (E)
17. Claudio Corti ITA MV Agusta RC F4RR 1m 36.888s
18. Jeremy Guarnoni FRA MRS Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 37.141s (E)
19. Sheridan Morais RSA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 37.280s (E)
20. Luca Scassa ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 37.343s (E)
Grid positions previously determined by FP3
21. Michel Fabrizio ITA IRON BRAIN Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 37.648s (E)
22. Fabien Foret FRA MAHI Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 39.038s (E)
23. Alessandro Andreozzi ITA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 39.771s (E)
24. Kervin Bos NED Winterb Honda CBR1000RR 1m 39.860s (E)
25. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR 1m 40.464s
26. Aaron Yates USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX 1m 41.502s
27. Geoff May USA Team Hero EBR 1190RX 1m 42.889s
28. Peter Sebestyen HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR 1m 42.580s (E)

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