Bayliss fastest in first session at Kyalami

Troy Bayliss looks set to continue his unprecedented string of season long WSB victories with a dominant performance in provisional qualifying in Kyalami.

But despite going a second under the lap record, the Australian still wasn’t happy with his performance. He told MCN: ” I’m really not pleased at all. We were here testing in November in exactly the same conditions and I went a second and half under the lap record. There’s still a lot of work to do. ”

Second fastest was Honda’s Colin Edwards, just 0.012 behind, with Bayliss’s Infostrada Ducati teammate Ben Bostrom third.

Neil Hodgson was fifth fastest and the HM Plant Ducati rider was encouraged by his efforts. He said: ” I’m actually really happy with the way things have gone. We’re fifth fastest, but we’ve pinpointed the problem with the tyres and we know what we need to do. ”

James Toseland was back in 10th position, with Chris Walker 15th. Walker is still suffering from the effects of his Bell’s Palsy, which makes it difficult for the Kawasaki rider to concentrate since he can’t blink the sweat from running into his left eye.

Fellow Brit Mark Heckles finished in 21st place.

1 Troy Bayliss (Aus) Ducati 1:41.961

2 Colin Edwards (US) Honda 1: 41.973

3 Ben Bostrom (USA) Ducati 1:41.996

4 Ruben Xaus (Spa) Ducati 1:42.505

5 Neil Hodgson (GB) Ducati 1:42.687

6 Noriyuki Haga (Jpn) Aprilia 1:42.830

7 Pierfrancesco Chili (Ita) Ducati 1:42.929

8 Luci Pedercini (Ita) Ducati 1:43.304

9 Juan Borja (Spa) Ducati 1:43.336

10 James Toseland (GB) Ducati 1:43.449

11. Hitoyasu Izutsu (Jpn) Kawasaki 1:

12 S Martin (Aus) Ducati

13 Marco Borciani (Ita) Ducati

14 Serafino Foti (Ita) Ducati

15 Chris Walker (GB) Kawasaki 1:44.350

16 Broc Parkes (Aus) Ducati

17 Gregorio Lavilla (Spa) Suzuki 1:

18 Mauro Sancini (Ita) Kawasaki

19 Alessandro Antonello (Ita) Ducati

20 Bertrand Stey (Fra) Honda

21 Mark Heckles (GB) Honda 1:46.459

22 Jiri Mrkyvka (Cze) Ducati

23 Ivan Clementi (Ita) Kawasaki

24 Yann Gynger (Sui) Honda

In the Supersport class tiny Frenchman Stephane Chambon showed his class, taking his Alstare Suzuki to provisional pole 3 tenths ahead of the two Belgarda Yamahas of Paulo Casoli and James Whitham in third.

1) S. Chambon 2) P Casoli 3) J Whitham 4) A Pitt 5) C Vermuelen 6) C Kellner 7) J Ellison 8) J Teuchert 9) T Cookes 10 P Bontempi 11) G Dreyer 12) W Daemen 13) F Foret 14) I MacPherson 15) K Fujiwara 16) A Carlacci 17) K Muggeridge 18) R Ulm 19) A Corradi 20) K Curtain 21) N Haarhoff 22) G Van Breda 23) S Cruciani 24) S MacLeod 25) S G Nannelli 27) A moodley 28) R Frost 29) D Giugovaz 30) J McGuinness