Jonathan Rea leads the way on Day 1

Round 2 of the eni World Superbike Championship got underway in near perfect conditions at MotorLand Aragon with Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) having the honour of topping the first European day of the season. Reigning World Champion Tom Sykes improved his morning session time, but the Kawasaki Racing Team rider was edged out by Rea, who ensured that his last lap of the day at the Spanish track would keep him at the top of the standings. Sykes was therefore 2nd ahead of Aragon wizard Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) who moved up to 3rd. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and Aprilia’s Marco Melandri completed the top 6. Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) was 7th with winner of the first race of the year Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) improving in the last five minutes to elevate himself to 8th. His new teammate Alex Lowes continued to adapt to the Spanish track eventually finishing in 11th. In the EVO category Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) held on to tenth position despite a late crash. Local rider David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) ended the day as the 3rd placed EVO rider in 14th just behind the returning Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia). The other Spaniard in the field Toni Elias had a difficult day, the Red Devils Aprilia only managing 12th position. Bimota on the other hand had an encouraging start to their return to superbike competition with Ayrton Badovini and Christian Iddon finishing in 17th and 21st. There is one more free practice session tomorrow morning which gives the riders currently placed 21st and below the chance to make the grid deciding Tissot-Superpole. Times: 1. Rea (Honda) 1'58.180 average 162.789 kph; 2. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'58.417; 3. Davies (Ducati) 1'58.575; 4. Baz (Kawasaki) 1'58.579; 5. Giugliano (Ducati) 1'58.717; 6. Melandri (Aprilia) 1'58.763; 7. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1'58.855; 8. Laverty (Suzuki) 1'58.971; 9. Haslam (Honda) 1'59.103; 10. Canepa (Ducati) 1'59.861; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 2'00.309; 12. Elias (Aprilia) 2'00.480; 13. Corti (MV Agusta) 2'00.749; 14. Camier (BMW) 2'00.966; 15. Salom (Kawasaki) 2'01.032; 16. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2'01.076; 17. Badovini (Bimota) 2'01.463; 18. Foret (Kawasaki) 2'01.511; 19. Morais (Kawasaki) 2'01.801; 20. Toth (BMW) 2'02.672; 21. Iddon (Bimota) 2'02.709; 22. Fabrizio (Kawasaki) 2'02.716; 23. Scassa (Kawasaki) 2'03.138; 24. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 2'03.217; 25. Yates (EBR) 2'04.075; 26. Sebestyen (BMW) 2'05.570; 27. May (EBR) 2'05.593. Free Practice 1 Rea left it until his final lap to edge out Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) who was 2nd, and reigning champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) who moved up to 3rd in the closing stages. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), championship leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) and last year’s double winner Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) completed the top 6. In the EVO category Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing) was fastest, claiming an impressive… (read more) World Supersport Frenchman Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta RC – Yakhnich Motorsport) is heading the field after the opening two World Supersport free practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon. With conditions perfect, the current leader of the championship posted a lap time of 2.02.461 to edge out the fastest rider from this morning Kev Coghlan (DMC Panavto-Yamaha) who also improved, just missing the top spot by 0.019s… (read more) Times: 1. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 2'02.461 average 157.098 kph; 2. Coghlan (Yamaha) 2'02.480; 3. Vd Mark (Honda) 2'02.684; 4. Marino (Kawasaki) 2'03.055; 5. Zanetti (Honda) 2'03.160; 6. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2'03.173; 7. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 2'03.362; 8. Wilairot (Honda) 2'03.875; 9. Russo (Honda) 2'03.907; 10. Kennedy (Honda) 2'04.042; 11. De Rosa (Honda) 2'04.226; 12. Menghi (Yamaha) 2'04.382; 13. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 2'04.519; 14. Bussolotti (Honda) 2'04.638; 15. Leonov (MV Agusta) 2'04.695; etc. Communication worldsbk.com