Misano MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo fights back

Jorge Lorenzo showed why he’s not going to surrender the MotoGP world title without a fight after he topped the timesheets in practice at the end of the first day of action in Misano.

The Spaniard was a lowly sixth in this morning’s first session and he was almost a second adrift of title rival Casey Stoner’s best pace on the factory Honda RC212V.

But the factory Yamaha rider was in brilliant form in this afternoon’s second 45-minute session to finish with a best time of 1.33.929.

That was over 1.2s faster than his best time this morning and he finished 0.076s clear of Aussie Stoner, who holds a commanding 44-point lead over Lorenzo going into Sunday’s 28-lap race.

Stoner was quickest this morning with a best lap of 1.34.180 and though he was marginally faster with a 1.34.005, it still wasn’t good enough to deny Lorenzo.

Stoner’s Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was third fastest with a best lap of 1.34.205 and home favourite Marco Simoncelli ended fourth with a 1.34.444.

American Ben Spies, who was second fastest this morning, dropped three places down the order to fifth after he was a fraction slower in the second session with a lap of 1.34.469.

Valentino Rossi endured another torrid time in front of his sun-baked home crowd and the Italian was only 11th quickest again, as he was this morning.

The nine-times world champion logged a best time of 1.35.331 on his final lap to finish over 0.4s faster than his pace in the opening session.

But he was still 1.402s behind Lorenzo with Hector Barbera finishing top Ducati rider in eighth place.

British rider Cal Crutchlow finished 15th with a best time of 1.35.622.