By Glenn Le Santo

The line-up for World Superbike Superpole at Assen was decided by Friday’s times, after a short-but-heavy shower soaked the track at the start of Saturday’s final qualifying. If
the track stays wet, then Superpole will be run in the ‘wet’ format, as used in Oschersleben, where each rider has 50 minutes to turn a maximum of 12 laps. The rider’s fastest lap decides his grid position.

The rain means that Ruben Xaus, who was fastest in Friday’s dry qualifying, hangs on to provisional pole in front of Troy Corser. Everything can, and probably will, change during Superpole. Akira Yanagawa recorded the fastest
time in the wet on his Kawasaki, lapping at 2:13.679. Neil Hodgson was second fastest in the wet, he lapped at 2:14.947 compared to
third-fastest Ruben Xaus at 2:15.311. Xaus lapped at 2:02.409 in the dry on Friday.

Fastest times in Saturday final qualifying, (These are times set today in wet, Friday’s faster times decide Superpole qualification):

1. Akira Yanagawa, Japan, Kawasaki, 2:13.679
2. Neil Hodgson, Great Britain, Ducati, 2:14.947
3. Ruben Xaus, Spain, Ducati, 2:15.311
4. Troy Corser, Australia, Aprilia, 2:16.192
5. Troy Bayliss, Australia, Ducati, 2:16.546
6. James Toseland, Great Britain, Ducati, 2:16.807
7. Colin Edwards, USA, Honda, 2:16.875
8. Steve Martin, AUS, Ducati, 2:17.259
9. Pierfrancesco Chili, Italy, Suzuki, 2:18.155
10. Ben Bostrom, USA, Ducati, 2:19.115