Sachsenring MotoGP: Alex de Angelis thrilled with second

Rookie Alex de Angelis caused a major surprise on the opening day of action at the Sachsenring when he claimed second place on the Gresini Honda.

The San Marino rider clocked a best time of 1.21.993 to lap within just 0.411s of dominant reigning world champion Casey Stoner.

“I was definitely expecting good results here at Sachsenring because this is a good track for me. Honestly, though, I didn’t expect to be quite so fast from this morning’s first practice and again in the afternoon. I am very satisfied because we’ve still got a few cards up our sleeves that can help us improve even further. Stoner is obviously very fast but it would be fantastic if we can consolidate this result”, said de Angelis, who has claimed five podium finishes in the 125 and 250 classes in Germany.