The superb pace shown by Chris Walker since the very early minutes of the first untimed session had a measurable effect later in the day, when he set the provisional pole time for the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours.

The British rider, like many benefiting from an earlier test session at the French venue shortly after the previous Imola round, set the circuit record with today's lap time, at a track layout never before used in SBK competition. The 4.411km track was bathed in winter sunshine, but the temperatures of both air and track were greatly reduced compared to their summer maximums.

For the local fans, the first day had plenty to shout about, as Regis Laconi duelled it out with Walker for top spot. The Englishman's final pace was impressive enough to leave Laconi 0.365secs adrift, however, and only just ahead of third placed Gregorio Lavilla.

The Spaniard was once more the top four-cylinder pilot in attendance, outpacing James Toseland, who was confirmed alongside Laconi as an official Ducati Fila SBK rider during a pre-race press conference. The most experienced man in SBK racing, Pierfrancesco Chili stuck in a fast lap at the end to go fifth.

The factory Ducati duo of Ruben Xaus and new world champion Neil Hodgson were down in the doldrums on day one, with Xaus a late sixth and Hodgson only ninth. A lack of grip in the cold conditions was the main reason stated by the riders and team.

The seventh place time of Troy Corser, despite being impressive in itself, did not do justice to the possible front row performance of the 900cc three-cylinder machine, with Corser slugging it out with the best throughout the final hour of the opening day's qualifying. Also in among the factory entrants was the ever aggressive Steve Martin, who took eight best time, just 1.018secs from provisional pole.

A good day for the multi-cylinder machines was rounded out by the efforts of local wild card Sebastien Gimbert, with frequently injured series regular David Garcia in a strong eleventh. British wild card Leon Haslam went 13th fastest, while the FP-1 of James Haydon pushed itself into the top 16 of Superpole qualification, a performance that he will attempt to emulate if the weather conditions permit on day two.

In the World Supersport Championship, local rider and new series regular Sebastien Charpentier took an assured pole position. The winner of a national championship race at Magny-Cours earlier this season, Charpentier put his experience to good use on the cold but dry track, taking a best lap of 1min 43.881secs.

New Supersport world champion Chris Vermeulen scored second best time, ahead of outgoing champion Fabien Foret's Kawasaki. Vermeulen's Ten Kate Honda team-mate Karl Muggeridge slipped into fourth place, completing the provisional front row.

Alstare Suzuki's Stephane Chambon kept up his challenge to finish second in the championship overall, securing fifth best time, one place ahead of the best-placed Yamaha rider, Christian Kellner. Katsuaki Fujiwara finished eighth on the second Alstare bike, aiming to keep his second place in the championship alive until the culmination of race weekend.