Brno MotoGP: Nightmare start for Michelin

Desperate to recover from its Laguna Seca debacle, Michelin had another nightmare on the first morning of action in Brno as rivals Bridgestone dominated on the newly resurfaced Czech Republic track.

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Only Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards managed to break into the top ten on the French rubber, but the American was still a massive 2.183s behind fellow Yamaha YZR-M1 rider Valentino Rossi.

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Edwards could only post a best of 1.59.965 as Michelin faced further embarrassment. With just six minutes of the session remaining, not a single Michelin rider occupied a place in the top ten.

Behind Edwards, next best was Andrea Dovizioso in 12th, while Jorge Lorenzo was only 13th and a massive 2.665s off the pace. British rider James Toseland also struggled as he could only clock a best time of 2.01.074, which left him over 3.2s slower than Rossi down in 15th.

And it was a shocking return to action for Spaniard Dani Pedrosa. Making his return from injury that forced him to miss last month’s American GP, the Repsol Honda rider was dead last and a massive 3.449s slower than Rossi.