Italian MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa sets fastest time in free practice

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has taken provisional pole in free practice for the Italian MotoGP at Mugello.

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner  sat at the top of the timesheets for the majority of the session with a time of 1’50”736, with Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards in second and Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi in third.

With 20 minutes remaining Dani Pedrosa set a time of 1’50”325, which none of the other riders were able to beat for the rest of the session.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa then want on to be the only rider to set a time in the 1’49 bracket with a time of 1’49”975 – cementing his position of provisional pole.

Casey Stoner’s former team mate and Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi set the third fastest time of 1’50”527, after he had consistently been lapping within the top 10 riders.

Capirossi’s Rizla Suzuki team mate Chris Vermeulen qualified 11th after setting the fastest time in Fridays free practice in the wet.

Championship contender and reigning 250cc champion Jorge Lorenzo qualified 14th with a time of 1’52”052 after he struggled to get to grips with the Mugello circuit.

Honda Gresini rider Shinya Nakano and Alice Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli finished  seventh and eighth respectively in front of Kawasaki rider John Hopkins and ex-world champion Nicky Hayden.

British rider James Toseland set only the 16th fastest time behind Alice Ducati rider Toni Elias.

1  D. PEDROSA  SPA  Repsol Honda Team  1’49.975
2  C. STONER  AUS  Ducati Marlboro Team  + 0.389
3  L. CAPIROSSI  ITA  Rizla Suzuki MotoGP  + 0.552
4  A. DE ANGELIS  RSM  San Carlo Honda Gresini  + 0.641
5  C. EDWARDS  USA  Tech 3 Yamaha  + 0.775
6  V. ROSSI  ITA  Fiat Yamaha Team  + 0.917
7  S. NAKANO  JPN  San Carlo Honda Gresini  + 1.078
8  S. GUINTOLI  FRA  Alice Team  + 1.111
9  J. HOPKINS  USA  Kawasaki Racing Team  + 1.297
10  N. HAYDEN  USA  Repsol Honda Team  + 1.321
11  C. VERMEULEN  AUS  Rizla Suzuki MotoGP  + 1.461
12  A. DOVIZIOSO  ITA  JiR Team Scot MotoGP  + 1.724
13  R. DE PUNIET  FRA  LCR Honda MotoGP  + 1.785
14  J. LORENZO  SPA  Fiat Yamaha Team  + 1.965
15  T. ELIAS  SPA  Alice Team  + 1.994
16  J. TOSELAND  GBR  Tech 3 Yamaha  + 2.020
17  M. MELANDRI  ITA  Ducati Marlboro Team  + 2.444
18  A. WEST  AUS  Kawasaki Racing Team  + 2.992
19  T. OKADA  JPN  Repsol Honda Team  + 10.226