The final free practice session ahead of this afternoon’s important Tissot-Superpole was thankfully held in dry yet conditions, meaning that despite the colder track temperatures all of the riders had an opportunity to improve and make it into the top twenty.

The session was initially stopped after the Team Toth Racing BMW of Peter Sebestyen dropped oil causing his team mate Imre Toth, several other riders as well as himself to fall.

Prior to the stoppage Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) had fired himself into 3rd with a blistering lap on only his second flying lap.

With the track marshals doing a great job, the session was back underway after a short delay and with only reigning Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and his team mate Loris Baz being able to get anywhere near the blistering time set by Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) it was the Italian who remains on top despite being unable to better his yesterday time.

Another red flag with four minutes to go to clear up further oil on track meant a final 2 lap shootout with all riders heading out for one last push. EVO Category rider Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) was the only rider to improve significantly with a superbly timed lap that moved him to an excellent 7th place.

At the flag and behind Giugliano, Sykes and Baz, Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Sylvain Guintoli and Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) completed the top 6 with Canepa, Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia), Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and the second Pata Honda of Leon Haslam rounding out the top ten riders who will be automatically placed into Tissot-Superpole 2.

The final rider to make the cut in 20th and therefore able to start Superpole 1 was South African Sheridan Morias (Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki) who was another improver at the end of the session.

Riders placed 11th – 20th will run in Superpole 1 at 1500 with the fastest two riders progressing immediately into Superpole 2 with the top ten, already seeded riders after the combined free practice classification.