Haslam quickest in first qualifying

FIM Superbike World Championship leader Leon Haslam continued his fine start to the season by topping the first qualifying session for this weekend's round at Portimao in Portugal.

The 26-year-old Alstare Suzuki rider, who claimed his first World Championship win in the opening round of the season at Phillip Island, set a best time of one minute 43.476 seconds at the Algarve circuit to lead the Xerox Ducati of Michel Fabrizio.

Spanish veteran Carlos Checa, who has proved to be one of the surprise packages of the season to date, was third fastest on his Althea Ducati with Max Biaggi fourth for Aprilia.

Briton Haslam was joined by a further five of his countrymen in the top 10.

Returning former champion James Toseland, back after two disappointing seasons in the FIM MotoGP World Championship, was fifth fastest as he continued to get to grips with a Yamaha that he found difficult to set up in Australia.

He was followed by team-mate Cal Crutchlow with Aprilia's Leon Camier ninth and Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea 10th. Czech rider Jakub Smrz was eighth.

But it proved to be a tough day for last year's championship runner-up Noriyuki Haga.

The Japanese star could only manage the 11th quickest time, a full half a second off the pace of Haslam.

Kawasaki rider Chris Vermeulen did not set a time, having also failed to do so in the first practice session held earlier in the day, as he continued to struggle with the injuries he suffered on home soil last time out.

The former Suzuki MotoGP rider tore five ligaments as well as the cartilage and muscle in the knee in a heavy fall at Phillip Island, and he admitted prior to the start of the weekend that it will take him up to two months to get back to full fitness.