Rossi fastest in early French GP practice
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-19 19:08
LE MANS, France, May 19 - Italian Valentino Rossi set the fastest time
in Friday's first free practice session at the French Grand Prix.
The MotoGP World champion clocked one minute 35.288 seconds around the
demanding Bugatti circuit in western France on his Yamaha.
Team mate Colin Edwards of the United States took second place, 0.518 second
behind, with Italian Capirossi finishing third on a Ducati, 0.662 second off the
pace.
Rossi retired from the last race in China following a tyre failure and
returns to Europe lying sixth in the standings, 32 points adrift of Honda's
American pacesetter Nicky Hayden.
Hayden finished a disappointing ninth in windy conditions, more than one
second behind Rossi, who won the French GP last season.
Spanish Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, who won in China, was down in tenth place,
with local favourite Randy De Puniet finishing just behind on his Kawasaki.
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