Hodgson blitzes them in Monza

Neil Hodgson set the the fastest ever time around the Monza circuit on a superbike on his way to a stunning provisional pole today.

The HM Plant Ducati rider went more than three tenths quicker than second best Colin Edwards, – and he set his time of 1:48.282 on race tyres.

Afterwards, a delighted Hodgson told MCN: ” That’s brilliant. It wasn’t my ambition to set a record, just to find a good race set-up. And it looks like we did that alright!

” But I don’t know whether it will mean anything by Sunday – the weather is our biggest worry at the moment. ”

While today’s qualifying has been rain-free, freak weather struck the Italian circuit yesterday – in one 24-hour period the equivalent of two months worth of rain lashed the Italian track.

The usual suspects occupy the top places, but Ruben Xaus is languishing down in 17th. The young Spaniard is still suffering from the injury to his hand he picked up crashing in Sugo three weeks ago.

Provisional qualifying:

1)N Hodgson 2) C Edwards 3)T Bayliss 4) B Bostrom 5) P Chili 6) J Toseland 7) C Walker 8) G Lavilla 9) M Borciani 10) E Bostrom 11) N Haga 12) J B Borja 13) S Martin 14) L Pedercini 15) A Antonello 16) B Parkes…21) M Heckles