James Toseland had a torrid return to the World Superbike Championship after two years on the MotoGP circuit when he crashed in practice and could finish only 13th in the first qualifying session for the opening race at Phillip Island in Australia.
Toseland, a two-time world champion in Superbikes, has effectively swapped jobs within the Yamaha camp, taking over the ride from last year's champion Ben Spies, who has filled Toseland's place in MotoGP.
Handling problems dogged Toseland and his team-mate, last season's World Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow, in their final test, leaving them with considerable work to do. Both were running a second off the provisional pole-setting pace.
"Unfortunately I had a big crash coming out of the penultimate corner," said Toseland, who was three places down on Crutchlow, on a leaderboard led by another Grand Prix exile Carlos Checa, riding the privateer Althea Ducati. He was just ahead of Michel Fabrizio's factory-backed Ducati.
Leon Haslam, looking to build on his hard work of last term on the Stiggy Honda, showed strongly aboard the Alstare Suzuki, topping free practice and running third in first qualifying, ahead of Shane Byrne and Noriyuki Haga.
Jonathan Rea, twice a race winner as he finished fifth overall in 2009, was seventh.
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