Portimao (Portugal), Saturday 1st November: the last Superpole session of the 2008 World Superbike championship, held today at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, was declared wet with the onset of rain just minutes before the start. Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was one of few riders to go straight out in the first minutes of the 50-minute session and he immediately set the fastest time, a time that was unbeatable once the rain intensified

Troy's Ducati 1098 today carried a special commemorative livery, with suit to match, to celebrate having won his third World Superbike championship title at Magny-Cours three weeks ago.

Troy Bayliss 1m58.5s
"The whole weekend has been strange and the weather has been a bit up and down. The track is dirty and wet too so it's not been easy. I'm very glad I went straight out and got a few good laps in very early at the start of the Superpole session. I was pretty happy with the wet setting and didn't need to go out again because it then started to rain more heavily half way through the session and no-one could match my time. I am happy to take my last ever Superpole; the 1098 has been working well as has the team, I have to thank them for all their hard work this weekend, and this season, without them I wouldn't have taken the title."

TIMES (Superpole): 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m58.5s; 2. Crutchlow (Honda) 2m01.0s; 3. Rea (Honda) 2m02.0s; 4. Biaggi (Ducati) 2m02.1s; 5. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 2m02.7s; 6. Haslam (Honda) 2m02.8s