Rossi Set The Best Time First Practice Session at Le Mans
Valentino Rossi felt the benefit of some work on his M1 bike while he set the top time from the first practice session at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France on Friday afternoon.
The Italian and the Fiat Yamaha crew made some significant improvements for the settings of his machine through the Jerez Test almost 3 weeks ago, plus the effects were evident at Le Mans where his time of 1’34.402 placed him presents itself the timesheet inside opening session of the third round.
Rossi display came despite some lingering pain in his recovering shoulder, which he is hopeful will subside for the reason that weekend plays out.
Rossi team-mate, rival and current Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo overcame some slight electronic issues at first from the practice by changing machines and then lapped in a consistent pace, eventually setting the 3rd best time at just .140s off the Italian’s marker.
News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Fiat Yamaha Team Le Mans Valentino Rossi
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Nieto`s Tribute to Rossi
Angel Nieto was paying a tribute to Rossi after he equaled his Grand Prix win tally of 90 victories.
Rossi´s equaling of Angel Nieto 90 Grand Prix victory milestone may `ve seen the Spaniard relinquishing his legacy as the 2nd most successful rider ever. But the MotoGP Legend wasn ‘t to be excluded from the celebrations in Le Mans.
Rossi was inviting Nieto to join him on a victory lap of the historic French circuit, and Nieto gave the Italian racewinner a well-deserved rest by taking the bars of the Yamaha M1 himself. It was Nieto´s 1st time riding an 800cc machine, with Rossi as his passenger displaying a flag, that commemorated their both achievements.
Nieto spoke about the unique celebration and Rossi´s achievement, after pulling into parc ferme:
“When I was on the bike with Valentino, he told me `this is history´. He is right, it is a fantastic story for us both. We´ve won 180 Grands Prix between us.
Valentino paid homage to my sporting career, and I am delighted to be part of his celebration, and to continue watching these amazing races. Congratulations to Valentino on the 90 wins. He deserves it as he is a star. He´ll be up there this season, of this there is no doubt.”
Calendar & Circuits News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Fiat Yamaha Team Le Mans Valentino Rossi
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Rossi takes 90th victory, World Championship lead, equalling Angel Nieto, at the Alice Grand Prix de France
Valentino Rossi took a second consecutive race victory at the Alice Grand Prix de France, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards.
Equalling Angel Nieto `s Record
Rossi took a runaway triumph at the Alice Grand Prix de France, equalling Angel Nieto `s record of 90 World Championship wins with a superb solo run.
In a selfless display, Rossi shared the limelight with the MotoGP Legend, asking Nieto to take him on a parade lap onboard the Yamaha M1. Aside from equalling the historic milestone, the win also allowed the five-time MotoGP World Champion to assume the leadership of the overall standings for the first time this season.
Whilst second row starter Rossi had broken away from the pack early, the battle for the podium was closely contested right up to the line. The Italian´s Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo once again took his share of the limelight, bursting through the field to take second place in spite of a catalogue of injuries. His latest rostrum means that he is now the highest rookie point scorer from an opening five races in history, overtaking hero Max Biaggi.
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News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Fiat Yamaha Team Jorge Lorenzo Le Mans
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Lorenzo suffered Crash, Again. Saturday Morning, Le Mans.
Jorge Lorenzo suffered crash on Saturday morning in the second free practice session at Le Mans, but is still expected to take part in qualifying this afternoon.
Fiat Yamaha´s Jorge Lorenzo will participate in qualifying this afternoon at the Alice Grand Prix de France despite suffering a second crash of the Le Mans weekend in this morning´s final practice session.
A high-speed Lowside
Lorenzo suffered a high-speed lowside at the end of the back straight approaching turn nine, which is one of the hardest breaking points on the French track, with the riders hitting the brakes around 200 meters before the apex of the turn.
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Calendar & Circuits News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Dani Pedrosa Le Mans Repsol Honda Team
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Pedrosa the Fastest of Friday timesheets
Dani Pedrosa, the MotoGP World Championship consolidated his morning advantage with a further mercurial time on Friday afternoon.
Fastest both the morning and afternoon
Dani Pedrosa holds the early advantage ahead of the Alice Grand Prix de France as being the fastest in both the morning and afternoon MotoGP sessions in Le Mans. The Repsol Honda rider and current leader of the MotoGP World Championship recorded a 1´34.227 lap of the newly-modified Bugatti circuit to end the day one step ahead of his premier class rivals.
He did so in the afternoon run by the slimmest of margins, less than five-hundredths of a second ahead of reigning MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner. Only a further eleven-thousandths of a second down was 2007 poleman Colin Edwards, who rounded off one of the closest top three´s one is likely to see.
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Calendar & Circuits News: Alice Grand Prix de France Calendar Le Mans
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Alice Grand Prix de France Time Schedule
Alice Grand Prix de France Time Schedule
Friday, 16th May 2008
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Saturday, 17th May 2008
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Sunday, 18th May 2008
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Time schedule in local time (GMT + 2 / CET).
News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Fiat Yamaha Team Le Mans Valentino Rossi
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Rossi and Fiat Yamaha, Unfinished business at Le Mans
Valentino Rossi arrives in France on a roll, with the intention of adding to his win haul and putting some ghosts to rest. He’s about out to avenge previous French disasters.
Valentino Rossi´s victory in China has put him right back into the World Championship mix, at just nine points behind leader Dani Pedrosa and on a positive run of form.
Entering the Eurocentric seven-race miniseries stage of the season that has traditionally been his most prolific in terms of points, the Italian and Team Manager Davide Brivio feel that Le Mans will once again be the start of a crucial section of the year.
Rossi says:
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News Riders & Teams: Alice Grand Prix de France Fiat Yamaha Team Jorge Lorenzo Le Mans
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Jorge Lorenzo race Le Mans, confirmed.
It’s been rubberstamped by Doctor Xavier Mir about Jorge Lorenzo´s participation in this weekend’s round of MotoGP action, confirming their initial expectations.
Jorge Lorenzo will definitely play a part in this weekend’s Alice Grand Prix de France, having been given the all clear from Doctor Xavier Mir in his final pre-Le Mans check up.
The decision to officially permit the Lorenzo to race comes as little surprise, with Dr. Mir having said himself that there would be as much chance of a breakage of any other bone as there was of re-injuring the fractured astralagus picked up in his Shanghai highside.
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News Photos & Videos: Dani Pedrosa Le Mans Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team
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Pedrosa and Hayden, Share similar approaches to Le Mans
Current MotoGP series leader and 2006 World Champion, highlight tyres and first section as key to mastering Le Mans.
Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden are in some ways polar opposites. Their bike setup, riding style and builds are markedly different despite bringing the Honda factory team equal amounts of success.
With this in mind, the pair have an incredibly similar approach to the upcoming Alice Grand Prix de France, round five of the MotoGP World Championship. Expect some aggressive riding and hard braking from Messrs. Pedrosa and Hayden this weekend, particularly in the first sector of the historic Le Mans circuit.
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Le Mans Circuit: Historical Hi-Lites
Heading to round five in France, here’re some of the recent highlights of Grand Prix racing at Le Mans.
Having hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix event on 20 previous occasions Le Mans has a great history.
Le Mans, The first GP
The first GP at Le Mans took place in 1969 and there was a something of a one-horse race in the premier class contest, with Giacomo Agostini lapping all the other riders on his all-conquering MV Agusta, but the racing has been much closer in the modern era.
Three races in recent memory stand out in particular in the history books:
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