Superbike: Sykes again in the third free practice session at Donington

The 2013 World Superbike champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) remained at the top in the third free practice session at Donington Park, finishing in first position in the combined times of today's three sessions and therefore facing tomorrow's Tissot-Superpole afternoon with the prediction in favor.

The English driver stopped the clock at a time of 1'28.172, preceding Davide Giugliano by just 111 thousandths. The official Ducati rider did everything he could to oust his rival from first place, but ran into a harmless crash, just under two minutes from the end, at "Redgate" (turn 1).

The battle for access to the Tissot-Superpole was more heated than ever, with 14 riders within just over a second and the top ten within just 615 thousandths. The home riders put themselves in a good light, with classification leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) third ahead of compatriots Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), limited by a rib injury, Chaz Davies (Aruba. it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) and Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), with Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) ninth, preceded by Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike) and Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) and followed by Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing Ducati), who completes the top-10 qualified directly for Superpole 1 thanks to another excellent performance on the track.

They will have to try to enter the fight for the first four rows, through the first round of Superpole, Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike), eleventh and twelfth ahead of the Spaniard David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) and the surprising Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and Christophe Ponsson (Team Pedercini Kawasaki), definitely in better shape than in the previous races.

Santiago Barragan (Grillini SBK Kawasaki) crashed, without consequences, at the last corner, Goddards, in the opening minutes of the session.

Below are the timed times which also mark access to tomorrow's Tissot-Superpole:

1. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 28.172s
2. Davide Giugliano ITA Aruba.it Racing Ducati 1199R 1m 28.283s
3. Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R 1m 28.483s
4. Leon Haslam GBR Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1m 28.516s
5. Chaz Davies GBR Aruba.it Racing Ducati 1199R 1m 28.542s
6. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 28.572s
7. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia S1000RR 1m 28.582s
8. Michael van der Mark NED PATA Honda CBR1000RR 1m 28.748s
9. Leon Camier GBR MV Agusta F4 RR 1m 28.756s
10. Matteo Baiocco ITA Althea Ducati 1199R 1m 28.787s

Top 10 will progress straight into SP2. Riders 11-20 entered into SP1

11. Jordi Torres ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 1m 29.006s
12. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Honda CBR1000RR 1m 29.025s
13. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 29.125s
14. Randy de Puniet FRA Voltcom Crescent Suzuki GSX-R1000 1m 29.247s
15. Christophe Ponsson FRA Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 29.743s
16. Leandro Mercado ARG Barni Ducati 1199R 1m 29.806s
17. Roman Ramos ESP GO Eleven Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 29.942s
18. Nicolas Terol SPA Althea Racing Ducati 1199R 1m 30.104s
19. Niccolo Canepa ITA Grillini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 30.329s
20. Santiago Barragan ESP Grillini Kawasaki ZX-10R 1m 32.497s

Will not progress into Superpole, grid positions determined

21.Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR 1m 32.647s
22.Gabor Rizmayer HUN Team Toth BMW S1000RR 1m 32.466s