Sportbike Superpole: Home riders shine at Assen; Gaggi and Vannucci the Italians in the top 10

Loris Veneman takes Sportbike pole at Assen, Marco Gaggi and Matteo Vannucci the only Italians in the top 10. Here’s how it went.

Home heroes storm the Cathedral of Speed, with two Italians in the top 10. The Superpole for the new Sportbike in the WorldSBK sees Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) emerge, edging his compatriot Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) by just 6 thousandths. Third place for Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki), who rebooted last year in the CIV Supersport before making the jump to world-level production racing. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) and Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) hold their own, wrapping up qualifying at Assen inside the top 10 and lining up tomorrow from 8th and 9th on the grid respectively, just ahead of championship leader Antonio Torres (Team Prodina Kawasaki XCI).

How did our flag-bearers do? After the historic first pole in the Portuguese round, Matteo Vannucci was once again the best Aprilia rider, but this time he could do no better than 9th, about half a second off the poleman. Ahead of him is Marco Gaggi, the top Italian in these qualifying sessions at the historic TT Circuit Assen. The two mentioned are our only riders in the top 10; further down we find the others: 13th Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) ahead of Mattia Sorrenti (Revo-M2) and Elia Bartolini (CM Triumph Factory Racing), 19th Alessandro Di Persio (ARCO Yamaha MotoR University Team), 26th Mirko Gennai (Panattoni BGR Smrz Racing), 30th Thomas Benetti (MMR/Aprilia).

We’ve covered our riders, but the Assen debut of the new Sportbike, successor to the now-defunct Supersport 300, saw the home crowd favorites shine, with 3 of them in the top four. Leading the way is Veneman, who put his ZX-6R 636 on top with a benchmark 1:42.499, as mentioned beating compatriot Buis by a whisker, while Artigas is two tenths back, an excellent 3rd and hunting a first podium that slipped away at the opening round in Portimao. Another home rider, Kas Beekmans (VLR Racing Team Suzuki), will also start from the front row, unlucky in the season opener and looking for redemption at home. Early championship leader Antonio Torres could do no better than 10th today, with the second in the standings and his garage mate David Salvador ahead in 5th.