Sykes ends day top of pile at Aragon

Kawasaki's Tom Sykes ended today's World Superbike tyre test at Motorland Aragon at the top of the times after trying out the new generation of 17-inch rims and Pirelli rubber due to be used from 2013.

Sykes' fastest lap of 1m 57.254 seconds compares favourably with the existing race lap record, set on race tyres as opposed to qualifying rubber, of 1m 58.251 seconds.

BMW's Marco Melandri, winner of the second race on Sunday at the Spanish venue, was less than a second behind after topping the morning session.

Ayrton Badovini was third quickest on the Italia Goldbet BMW ahead of Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty on the factory Aprilia RSV4.

Laverty's team-mate, Max Biaggi - who extended his lead in the championship to 48 points after taking victory in race one on Sunday and a fourth in the second outing - took fifth, with Leon Haslam on the second works BMW S1000RR rounding out the top six.

Ulsterman Jonathan Rea was the leading Honda rider in eighth place behind Leon Camier on the Fixi Crescent Suzuki, with the pair finishing ahead of Althea Racing duo Davide Giugliano and Carlos Checa.

Today's test was aimed at providing competitors with an introduction to the new 17" rims and Pirelli Diablo tyres, which will become mandatory next season.

The Effenbert Liberty Ducati and Red Devils teams were absent from the test, with Niccolo Canepa and Jakub Smrz skipping the event.

Smrz is recovering following his crash on Sunday in race one.