Photography by Gold & Goose
Ducati is looking strong at the Cathedral of Speed in Assen. Davide Giugliano ended Friday atop the charts, turning a lap of 1:35.396 on his factory Ducati 1199 Panigale R. The Italian would eventually end the day in the gravel after losing the front into the final chicane in the last minute of the session. Unhurt, he will be ready to fight for the Tissot Superpole tomorrow.
Overcast conditions gave way to sunshine for the second free practice at Assen ahead of the third round of the World Superbike Series.
With almost everyone improving courtesy of the warmer temperatures it was of holding the overnight fastest time despite a surge from Brits Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) late in the session.
Behind Giugliano, Rea ran second with a time of 1:35.880. Series leader Sykes ran a 1:36.146 just nipping Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), who also fell in the final few minutes after turning in a lap at 1:36.219.
Davies was eventually classified fifth ahead of Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and the Aprilia Racing Team pairing of Sylvain Guintoli and Marco Melandri, who put in several long runs during the afternoon session, possibly planning race day strategy.
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) grabbed the final spot in the top ten.
Niccolo Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) was once again the fastest rider within the EVO category ahead of Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Ayrton Badovini (Team Bimota Alstare) who continues to impress this weekend on only his second ride for the returning Italian manufacturer.
If it rains, as expected Saturday, the final place in the Superpole will be Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki), although everyone will be hoping for a repeat of today’s weather to allow them a fighting chance to make it through.
The American EBR squad continued the painfully slow development of its 1190 RX World Superbike-spec machines. Aaron Yates and Geoff May were 26th and 27th respectively in the 28-rider field. They were roughly six seconds off the pace of Giugliano.
Assen is one of the premier stops in World Superbike. Since 1992 the TT Circuit Assen has been part of the WSBK calendar.
After raising the bar in the second round of the season, the Kawasaki Racing Team hopes to keep the momentum going. The impressive double double scored by KRT duo Tom Sykes and Loris Baz at Aragon had a significant impact on the points situation, leaving only Aprilia Racing Team’s Sylvain Guintoli within close range. The Frenchman is 11 points shy of the man in the lead Tom Sykes, while other works Aprilia rider Melandri lies fourth in the standings with a 26 point gap. The Italian rider is followed closely by Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea (27) and Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Eugene Laverty (29).
World Superbike – Results Free Practice 2nd Session, April 25, 2014
1 34 D. GIUGLIANO ITA Ducati Superbike Team Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1’35.396
2 65 J. REA GBR PATA Honda World Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1’35.880
3 1 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’36.146
4 22 A. LOWES GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.219
5 7 C. DAVIES GBR Ducati Superbike Team Ducati 1199 Panigale R 1’36.417
6 76 L. BAZ FRA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’36.449
7 58 E. LAVERTY IRL Voltcom Crescent Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’36.467
8 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’36.670
9 33 M. MELANDRI ITA Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’36.697
10 91 L. HASLAM GBR PATA Honda World Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 1’36.709
11 59 N. CANEPA ITA Althea Racing Ducati 1199 Panigale R EVO 1’37.042
12 19 L. CAMIER GBR BMW Motorrad Italia SBK BMW S1000 RR EVO 1’37.139
13 24 T. ELIAS ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’37.240
14 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Bimota Alstare Bimota BB3 EVO 1’37.436
15 32 S. MORAIS RSA IRON BRAIN Grillini Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’37.638
16 2 C. IDDON GBR Team Bimota Alstare Bimota BB3 EVO 1’37.876
17 9 F. FORET FRA MAHI Racing Team India Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’38.113
18 71 C. CORTI ITA MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich M. MV Agusta F4 RR 1’38.122
19 44 D. SALOM ESP Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’38.128
20 11 J. GUARNONI FRA MRS Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’38.264
21 23 L. SCASSA ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’38.296
22 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA IRON BRAIN Grillini Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’38.550
23 77 K. BOS NED Winteb LiquidRubber Racing T. Honda CBR1000RR EVO 1’39.411
24 21 A. ANDREOZZI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R EVO 1’39.594
25 10 I. TOTH HUN BMW Team Toth BMW S1000 RR 1’40.189
26 20 A. YATES USA Team Hero EBR EBR 1190 RX 1’41.209
27 99 G. MAY USA Team Hero EBR EBR 1190 RX 1’42.180
28 56 P. SEBESTYEN HUN BMW Team Toth BMW S1000 RR EVO 1’42.863
