Buzzin MotoGP

Le Mans MotoGP Free Practice

Joy Ryder - Friday 16.05.08, 19:13pm

Today was the free practice sessions ahead of the Le Mans Moto GP Championship in France and Dani Pedrosa took the fastest times in both sessions.

In the first session Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda edged out his rival Jorge Lorenzo on the Fiat Yamaha by just under a three-tenths of a second followed by Valentino Rossi in third place on the second Fiat Yamaha.

Casey Stoner finished fifth quickest on the Ducati Marlboro ahead of Colin Edwards on the Tech-3 Yamaha and Chris Vermeulen on the Rizla Suzuki.

Here are the times for the Free Practice 1;

Pos  Rider             Bike           Time
 1.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda     (M)  1:34.227
 2.  Casey Stoner      Ducati    (B)  1:34.276  + 0.049
 3.  Colin Edwards     Yamaha    (M)  1:34.287  + 0.060
 4.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha    (M)  1:34.487  + 0.260
 5.  Chris Vermeulen   Suzuki    (B)  1:34.630  + 0.403
 6.  Valentino Rossi   Yamaha    (B)  1:34.959  + 0.732
 7.  Shinya Nakano     Honda     (B)  1:35.047  + 0.840
 8.  Randy de Puniet   Honda     (M)  1:35.073  + 0.846
 9.  John Hopkins      Kawasaki  (B)  1:35.133  + 0.906
10.  Alex de Angelis   Honda     (B)  1:35.239  + 1.012
11.  Loris Capirossi   Suzuki    (B)  1:35.256  + 1.029
12.  Nicky Hayden      Honda     (M)  1:35.378  + 1.151
13.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda     (M)  1:35.450  + 1.223
14.  Marco Melandri    Ducati    (B)  1:35.678  + 1.451
15.  James Toseland    Yamaha    (M)  1:35.848  + 1.621
16.  Anthony West      Kawasaki  (B)  1:35.877  + 1.650
17.  Toni Elias        Ducati    (B)  1:36.039  + 1.812
18.  Sylvain Guintoli  Ducati    (B)  1:36.414  + 2.187

In the second session Pedrosa carried on from where he left off but kindly let Edwards take the lead until the last five minutes when stoner took a turn at the front but, Pedrosa didn’t let him stay there for long and in the final moments regained his place in the lead.

Jorge Lorenzo, who had been amazing, bearing in mind his injuries, took fourth place but just before the end of the session he fell on the exit of turn one. He was immediately on his feet although looking a bit wobbly, but was stretchered off the track.

After the session Lorenzo said to Eurosport “The first thing I did when I crashed this afternoon was to stand up in order to check that I hadn’t done any more damage! Luckily it’s okay and I don’t think I have made anything worse and at the moment I don’t need to have any more injections, which is better for me. The pain in my ankles is not so bad and to ride is okay, the main problem is that I am lacking the confidence that I know I should have, but I just need to keep thinking positively and I am sure that this will come soon.”

Chris Vermeulen took fifth place on the Rizla Suzuki followed by Valentino Rossi on the Fiat Yamaha. Randy de Puniet was in eighth place behind Shinya Nakano.

Here are the times for Free Practice 2;

Pos Rider Bike Time 1. Dani Pedrosa Honda (M) 1:34.227 2. Casey Stoner Ducati (B) 1:34.276 + 0.049 3. Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) 1:34.287 + 0.060 4. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) 1:34.487 + 0.260 5. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) 1:34.630 + 0.403 6. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) 1:34.959 + 0.732 7. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) 1:35.047 + 0.840 8. Randy de Puniet Honda (M) 1:35.073 + 0.846 9. John Hopkins Kawasaki (B) 1:35.133 + 0.906 10. Alex de Angelis Honda (B) 1:35.239 + 1.012 11. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) 1:35.256 + 1.029 12. Nicky Hayden Honda (M) 1:35.378 + 1.151 13. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) 1:35.450 + 1.223 14. Marco Melandri Ducati (B) 1:35.678 + 1.451 15. James Toseland Yamaha (M) 1:35.848 + 1.621 16. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) 1:35.877 + 1.650 17. Toni Elias Ducati (B) 1:36.039 + 1.812 18. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) 1:36.414 + 2.187