Marco Simoncelli was quickest in opening free practice for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring amid a string of crashes for leading riders.
Championship leader Casey Stoner (Honda), his team-mate Dani Pedrosa, Ducati’s Valentino Rossi and LCR Honda rider Toni Elias all lost control and fell at the downhill right-hander at turn 11.
Rossi’s was the most violent of the accidents, the former champion tumbling heavily through the gravel and having to go to the medical centre for checks. But he escaped with just cuts to his arm.
Elias would later have a second, much heavier, crash at turn one having resumed on his spare bike, ending his morning. Yahoo! Eurosport UK
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MotoGP: Marco Simoncelli Fastest in First Practice at Sachsenring
Simoncelli, meanwhile, had nothing to do with the crashes and went on his merry way, setting fastest lap after fastest lap to finish two tenths faster than Stoner who recovered to bag second place with his last lap of the session but was the only rider to break the 1’23 barrier with his 1’22.823.
Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo’s last lap put him second on a 1’23.004 until Stoner went out while Nicky Hayden put on a great show to take four and is only four-tenths off the pace. Andrea Dovizioso is fifth while rookie Karel Abraham is sixth and only six-tenths in arrears. BSN
Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) built on the good form he showed in Mugello, placing seventh with a time of 1’23.433, beating out Randy De Puniet (Pramac Racing), Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), who had started session with good pace before crashing in turn 11, managed eleventh after reentering the session, ahead of Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) in 12th with a time of 1’23.989. Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) had an early runoff in turn 8, finishing in 13th position with a time of 1’24.162. motogp.com
Pos. Num. Rider Team Time 1 58 Marco SIMONCELLISan Carlo Honda Gresini 1'22.823 2 27 Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team 1'23.004 3 1 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing 1'23.046 4 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'23.205 5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSORepsol Honda Team 1'23.355 6 17 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'23.416 7 8 Hector BARBERA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1'23.433 8 14 Randy DE PUNIET Pramac Racing Team 1'23.534 9 11 Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing 1'23.558 10 5 Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'23.594 11 26 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'23.604 12 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'23.989 13 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'24.162 14 46 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team 1'24.512 15 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'24.620 16 24 Toni ELIAS LCR Honda MotoGP 1'26.060 17 65 Loris CAPIROSSI Pramac Racing Team 1'26.334
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