Michel Fabrizio has claimed provisional pole position for Sunday's sixth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Kyalami

Less than a week on from claiming his maiden WSB victory for Ducati Xerox, Fabrizio proved the yardstick for his rivals in South Africa as he posted a time of one minute 38.103 seconds to edge HANNspree Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea into second place by four tenths.

The qualifying session went ahead under a cloud, however, following the accident which befell DFX Corse Ducati rider Regis Laconi during the earlier free practice session.

The Frenchman suffered head and neck injuries in the fall and following treatment at the circuit's medical centre was transferred to the Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg.

The team later confirmed Laconi had suffered a suspected five fractured vertebrae in addition to a serious head injury.

A statement on the official WSB website confirmed the extent of Laconi's injuries.

It read: "During the first lap of the morning's free practice session, Regis Laconi crashed in the section between Turn 11 and Turn 12.

"Unfortunately in the crash the French rider, despite not hitting any obstacle, suffered a severe trauma to the cervical vertebrae.

"Transported by helicopter to the nearby Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, Laconi is reported as being on the danger list.

"The serious injuries suffered mean that an operation will be required, which will be carried out by a neurological specialist in the next few hours."

When the riders returned to the track this afternoon Fabrizio and Rea dominated the running, finishing ahead of championship contender Ben Spies, who hauled his Yamaha up to third place following a largely anonymous session.

Leon Haslam (Stiggy Motorsport) and Shinya Nakano (Aprilia) claimed fourth and fifth on the provisional grid while championship leader Noriyuki Haga could only manage sixth on the second Ducati Xerox.

Jakub Smrz was seventh for Guandalini Ducati while Tom Sykes (Yamaha), Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad) rounded out the top 10.