Giugliano Leads Czech World Superbikes

Cycle News Staff | July 20, 2012

Althea Racing Ducati’s Davide Giugliano proved that his fast time from this morning’s practice session at the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic was no fluke, the 22-year-old Roman backing it up with the best time in the afternoon’s first qualifying session.

Giugliano, who lapped at 2:00.359 to lead the morning session, stepped it up with some nine minutes to go in this afternoon’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s two World Superbike races, dropping his time to 1:59.452 to knock BMW’s Marco Melandri from the top spot.

Melandri, who led the session with 10 minutes to go with a 1:59.545, ended up second.

Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty ended up third fastest with a 1:59.693, the top three separated by just .241 of a second. Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes, the Superpole King of 2012, was fourth fastest and the final rider to crack the 2:00 barrier at 1:59.850.

Giugliano’s teammate Carlos Checa leads the provisional second row, the Spaniard .728 behind his teammate and just .018 ahead of Liberty Racing Effenbert’s Jakub Smrz, the Czech rider second in the morning session at his home round.

The two BMW Italia GoldBet S1000 RRs of Ayrton Badovini and Michel Fabrizio were seventh and eight with Chaz Davies’ ParkinGo MTC Racing Aprilia ninth. Factory BMW’s Leon Haslam rounded out the top 10.

John Hopkins, the lone American in the series, was 12th fastest, but just a tad over a second off provisional pole.

World Championship points leader Max Biaggi ended the day in 14th – one spot better than the factory Honda of Jonathan Rea.

Friday Qualifying

1. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1:59.452

2. Marco Melandri (BMW) 1:59.545

3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 1:59.693

4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:59.850

5. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 2:00.180

6. Jakub Smrz (Ducati) 2:00.226

7. Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 2:00.244

8. Michel Fabrizio (BMW) 2:00.322

9. Chaz Davies (Aprilia) 2:00.391

10. Leon Haslam (BMW) 2:00.422