Battered Chaz Davies will start today's second Portimao WorldSBK race from pole after a superhuman ride to fourth place yesterday.

The Welsh dragon, whose broken collarbone is still giving him serious jip, rode a smart, error-free race and picked up the number one spot on today's grid by staying out of trouble and knowing when to back off - as he did in the final five laps after Lorenzo Savadori bit the dust from a podium spot.

"I had a great start, then it came up on me a little bit. There was a bit of pushing in turn 1, so I stayed cautious and held the inside line, which paid off. The first corners were crucial, as I came out in sixth place," said Davies.

"I was trying to hang with VD Mark and recover from the front, but we struggled with turning a little bit. Also, in the last five laps I took it a little bit easier physically, knowing that I could just hold position.

"Overall I'm really, really happy. The feeling on the bike keeps getting better after each session. I was hoping for a top eight, so to come away with fourth and start from pole position tomorrow is much better than what I expected."