Jonathan Rea dominated a damp Superpole session to grab the top spot ahead of the opening World Superbike race at Magny-Cours.
The championship leader beat his Kawasaki Racing team-mate Tom Sykes to pole by almost three quarters of a second, with Aruba Ducati’s Chaz Davies third.
After Friday’s dry free practice sessions, the anticipated rain hit the French track overnight, greeting riders with a wet track this morning. After a wet free practice three, more rain came, leaving conditions even more difficult as Superpole One began.
Aruba Ducati’s Davide Giugliano, who had been expected to fly through to Superpole Two, watched his chances go out the window when he crashed at Turn Five on his out lap.
His shoulder injury was plain to see as he was unable to pick the bike up, needing help from marshals to get him up and away. He did manage to get back out and jump to the top briefly but it wasn’t enough.
Matthieu Lagrive on the Pedercini Kawasaki and Nicky Hayden made it through while Josh Brookes saw his chances scuppered as he crashed his Milwaukee BMW while on his final quick lap.
As SP2 got underway, hometown hero Sylvain Guintoli was the first to stick in a quick one on his Pata Yamaha, with Leon Camier and Lagrive also flirting with the top spot as he posted a 1’58.411.
But it all changed when Rea hit the track, knocking the best part of three seconds off to hit the top, and then bettering it a lap later as he set a 1’54.617.
From there Rea just got quicker and quicker as track conditions began to dry out a little, becoming the first rider to hit the 1’53s. Sykes was always very close behind, and with just under two minutes to go it was his turn to top the timesheets with a 1’53.593.
But Rea had a bit more to give, and just after the flag fell he came back with a stunning lap of 1’52.881, becoming the only rider to dip below the 1’53s and securing pole.
Sykes held onto second with Davies third while Guintoli was fourth. Leon Camier had to settle for fifth despite a strong start, after a big crash on his final lap at Turn One when his MV Agusta spat him off at high speed.
The Honda World Superbike Team duo Michael Van Der Mark and Nicky Hayden will line up in sixth and seventh spots respectively, with Lorenzo Savadori eighth on the IodaRacing Aprilia, the impressive Lagrive ninth and Xavi Fores rounding out the top 10 on his Barni Racing Ducati.
