Aruba.it Ducati’s Davide Giugliano flashed over the line just behind Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes in the closing seconds of Superpole 2 at Portimao to take his fifth career Superpole win; his second of the season.
His time of 1:41.764 held Sykes off by .116 of a second.
Third and on the front row for Sunday’s 2-lap races was Giugliano’s teammate Chaz Davies. Fellow British rider, Alex Lowes on the Voltcom Crescent Suzuki, will head the second row in fourth.
Red Devils Aprilia Racing’s Leon Haslam placed fifth and surprise package Matteo Baiocco on the Althea Racing Ducati scored a second row start in sixth place. Pata Honda’s Sylvain Guintoli was seventh.
Sykes’ teammate Jonathan Rea had a virtual Superpole disaster when he crashed out on his second flying lap. He had already set a time inside the high 1:42s, which placed him eighth on the grid.
Jordi Torres on the other Red Devils Aprilia was ninth fastest and BMW Motorrad Italia’s Ayrton Badovini took the last place inside the top 10.
In the first sector of Superpole the riders who had qualified 11th to 20th attempted to join the top 10 in Superpole 2, but it was Lowes and Leandro Mercado on the Barni Racing Team Ducati were the ones that duly made it through.
Big names Michael van der Mark on the Pata Honda and MV Agusta Reparto Corse’s Leon Camier just missed out.
2015 Portimao World Superbike Superpole Results
1. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1:41.764
2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1:41.880
3. Chaz Davies (Ducati) 1:42.123
4. Alex Lowes (Suzuki) 1:42.198
5. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) 1:42.217
6. Matteo Baiocco (Ducati) 1:42.468
7. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda) 1:42.641
8. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:42.902
9. Jordi Torres (Aprilia) 1:42.975
10. Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 1:43.067
