Three British riders powered to the front in the first day of the official Superbike World Championship test at the Portimao circuit in Portugal overnight.

Leon Haslam was the man most in form as the Suzuki Alstare rider went quickest both in the morning and the afternoon, ending the day on the 1:42.778 mark, just three-tenths off Ben Spies’ 2009 outright circuit best lap.

Rookie and current Supersport World Champion Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) continued to ease his way into the top category in last year’s title winning team, and he was a fraction behind in second place, while Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) damaged his little finger in the morning run, but bounced back on form to take the third slot.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) failed to improve in the afternoon, but nevertheless ended the day in fourth, a whisker ahead of James Toseland, who has returned to race for Yamaha Sterilgarda this year after two seasons in MotoGP. Shane Byrne (Althea Racing) continued the British flavour at the top with sixth fastest time.

For the moment the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are slightly off the pace in seventh and eighth place respectively, while new entrant, American Roger Lee Hayden eased his way into the World Superbike scene for the Kawasaki Pedercini team.

Spanish rider Joan Lascorz dominated the first day of Supersport action at Portimao, the Kawasaki Motocard.com rider going quickest in both sessions after 180 minutes of testing. His time of 1:45.470 was just three-tenths away off the circuit record he set in last October’s race.

But the rider of the day was Michele Pirro, who took his Honda Ten Kate to second place on his debut with the team, just a fraction off the leader’s pace.

A major improvement was recorded by Jason DiSalvo, the American rider making his World Supersport debut on the Triumph (tenth) while Paola Cazzola propped up the charts with 14th time on the Honda Kuja.

SUPERBIKE TIMES:
1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’42.778; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’42.960; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’43.033; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’43.364; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’43.378; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1’43.569; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1’43.574; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’43.711; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’43.870; 10. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1’43.903; 11. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’44.283; 12. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’44.365; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.376; 14. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1’44.453; 15. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’44.570; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’44.576 ; 17. Parkes B. (AUS), Honda CBR1000RR 1’44.751; 18. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’46.444; 19. Fores J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’47.293; 20. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’48.317.

SUPERSPORT TIMES:
1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.292; 2. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.587; 3. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.834; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’45.909; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’45.988; 6. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1’46.610; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1’47.164; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1’47.500; 9. Dell’Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’48.537; 10. DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 1’49.233.