Robinson leads privateers in GP250.

Jamie Robinson and the QUB Team Optimum Aprilia headed the independent runners in first qualifying at the GP250 Czech Republic Grand Prix yesterday, as another storming ride continued his ongoing trend of second-row starting positions.

Robinson has been mixing it with the works and semi-works riders for several races now, and seventh in the first timed session for Sunday's GP at Brno confirmed his climb towards the sharp end of the grid.

''I've not been well at all this week - most of my family and I have had a bug which has really taken all of the energy out of us - so I am more than happy to be here as the leading privateer,'' Robinson said, ''As for the session itself, I found a race tyre about midway through the session, and then felt comfortable going quicker and quicker. That sees you up against other problems, but that's no bad thing as we're going quicker in the first place!

Team-mate Adrian Coates did not enjoy as fruitful at day in the Czech Republic, however, completing just an out-lap and an in-lap with gear selection problems, and not being able to lodge a representative time before being forced out of the rest of the session.The Irishman was 15th in the morning's free practice session, however, and has proved to the race directors of his speed at the track.

''! was coming into the first chicane on my first lap when it wouldn't go lower than third gear,'' he explained, ''It seemed to clear towards the final part of the lap, so I carried on, only for it to get progressively worse and forcing me to pull in. We had a look and found a broken gear and, even though we pulled out all of the broken bits, you never know what else has been damaged, so we called it a day.''

''We've just been doing our usual thing in getting through the tyre and carburation settings, in order to get down to a quick time early on,'' commented QUB team manager Robert Fleck, ''It's a case of picking up where we left off - Jamie is getting to know the bike a great deal better so we can head off in a direction faster than we ever could before. As Adrian has said, we never know what else has been damaged once bits of gear have gone around the 'box so, coupled with the fact that it really needs a complete overhaul after a problem such as that, we reluctantly set to work for tomorrow rather than today.''

Second qualifying takes place at 13-15GMT this afternoon [Saturday]