Le Mans

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Legendary Le Mans venue welcomes Honda MotoGP men

Le Mans ? arguably the world?s most famous motorsport venue ? welcomes the motorcycling World Championships onto its hallowed tarmac for the 22nd time this weekend. France?s motorsport Mecca has been hosting the French Grand Prix on and off since 1969, and in recent years has been the scene of some thrilling races, several of them influenced by rainy conditions. Indeed three of the last four French GPs have been run on a wet or damp track!

Honda has enjoyed much premier-class success at Le Mans, with ten victories achieved by Fast Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Mick Doohan, Alex Crivill?, Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri. This year Honda?s six RC212V riders will be doing everything they can to continue that record of success, while keeping a very watchful eye on the weather.

The Repsol Honda team of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) is chasing its first victory of 2010 after scoring a podium finish at each of the first two GPs of the year, Dovizioso taking a third-place finish at the season-opening Qatar GP on April 11 and Pedrosa scoring a second-place finish at Jerez on May 2.

Following his strong showing at Jerez, Pedrosa has high hopes for Le Mans, where he has scored three GP victories (125 in 2003, 250 in 2004 and 2005), with each of those successes leading to world title glory at the end of the season. Pedrosa also has strong Le Mans form in the big class, having taking three pole positions on his last four visits to the track. If Pedrosa can turn that speed into another victory on Sunday, it will augur well for his 2010 championship challenge.

Dovizioso has also tasted glory at Le Mans ? winning the 2004 French 125 GP, which led him to that year?s 125 world title ? and will be gunning hard for another visit to the podium, especially following a successful post-race test at Jerez. Dovizioso will use the revised RCV chassis he evaluated during those tests.

Le Mans is a big weekend for Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V), France?s only rider in the premier category. The former 250 challenger goes well at the circuit, having scored four 250 podium finishes at Le Mans between 2002 and 2005, but he has yet to repeat that success in the big class. Nevertheless, de Puniet is feeling confident following a successful day of testing at Jerez, during which he worked at honing the chassis set-up of his RC212V. He also focused on improving his starts, after a less than perfect getaway in the Jerez race left him with so much work to do.

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) is also in positive mood and looking to continue the upward trend of the last two races. The Italian had a challenging winter readapting to Honda machinery after two years with other manufacturers, but he has now found a good direction, which allowed him to secure an encouraging eighth-place finish at Jerez. Melandri won the wet-and-dry 2006 French MotoGP race for Honda and has since finished on the Le Mans podium in 2007 and 2009.

Team-mate Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) is learning fast about MotoGP. The Italian rookie has showed his racing prowess in his first two outings in the class and is now getting the hang of squeezing extra performance from his RCV. During the Jerez tests he worked at improving braking stability, which is of huge importance at Le Mans, a track dominated by slow corners.

Fellow rookie Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) also has much to learn about MotoGP. With so little off-season testing time available due to new cost-cutting regulations, every extra lap for Aoyama and the other rookies is crucial, which is why the reigning 250 World Champion reckons the post-race tests at Jerez have helped him so much.

Honda?s premier-class success at Le Mans covers almost three decades and a variety of riders and bikes. In 1983 Fast Freddie Spencer won Honda?s first 500cc success at the track aboard Honda?s NS500 triple. Between 1985 and 2000, Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Mick Doohan and Alex Crivill? all won 500 GPs with Honda?s NSR500 V4. And since the switch to four-stroke MotoGP, Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri have won at Le Mans with the RC211V.

Legendary for its 24-hour races, Le Mans hosted its first bike GP in 1969. The Bugatti circuit, very different from the much longer 24-hour car circuit, returned to the GP calendar in 2000 after an absence of four years, during which time the French GP was run at Circuit Paul Ricard in Provence. Since 2000 the event has built a huge following in bike-mad France, with tens of thousands of bikers making the two-hour trip to the Sarthe from Paris.

Le Mans underwent safety modifications before the 1999 GP, partly as a result of Alberto Puig?s injurious turn-one crash during practice for the 1995 French GP. The daunting right hander was tightened and the Mus?e left-hander was also modified to lower speeds. Further modifications have been carried out during subsequent years in an ongoing programme of improvements.

The track?s character is very stop-and-go, with plenty of slow turns where braking and acceleration performance are primordial. Riders and their engineers therefore concentrate on honing their machines? stability during braking, as well as improving rear-end traction for the numerous hairpin exits.


MotoGP Rider Quotes

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:
?After the Jerez race I?m looking forward to arriving in Le Mans and continuing with our recent progress. We were able to complete a good weekend in Spain, being fast from the first practice and building up to the best set-up possible for the race. This is the pattern we have to achieve again in France. Le Mans is one of those circuits where you need to be prepared for any track conditions because the weather can play a big part during the weekend. In fact, last year?s wet-dry race was a good example of this. So it will be very important to make maximum use of the practice sessions and be ready to set the bike up for a wide range of weather conditions and temperatures. Le Mans will also be my 150th Grand Prix in the World Championship, and I would really like to mark this with another great result there.?

Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso says:
?I?m looking forward to racing at Le Mans this weekend. It?s a circuit that I like and where I always tend to get good results so I?m confident for this race. After the improvements we found during the Monday test in Jerez, I think we will be very competitive. In fact we will use the new chassis we tested in Jerez and I?m very positive about our potential. Le Mans is a slow racetrack. It looks easy on paper but in reality it?s quite a tricky place to interpret, and riding at maximum pace is a good challenge. There are many variations of camber and elevation changes that make things difficult ? and this is what I like about it. Last year I fought for the podium and I lost out on the very last lap so my motivation is high for this race. I?m confident we can fight with the front riders this year.?

LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet says:
?Of course, Le Mans is a big event for me and the team. You always want to do your best in every race, but having so many fans urging you on is an extra boost, so I want to get the best possible result for all the people who support me all year round. I think we can have a better race at Le Mans than we did at Jerez. We made some good improvements to the bike during the tests at Jerez, so I want to say a big thank you to my crew for all their hard work. I like Le Mans ? it?s quite stop and go and there?s a lot of hard braking into the hairpins, which I enjoy.?

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) says:
?Things are looking much more optimistic after the last race at Jerez and I was happy with the test we did there on the Monday. I think my feeling with the Honda RC212V is much better compared to the first two races and we are starting to learn about the things we need to change to improve it. We?re heading to some circuits where we have no winter testing data so it will be more difficult for everybody to find a set-up. You also have to consider that the weather can be decisive at Le Mans so is important to find a race setting as quickly as possible in practice. Le Mans is traditionally my strongest circuit in MotoGP ? I won there in 2006, I was on the podium in 2007 and 2009 and only just missed out in 2005 so I have lots of good memories of France. Naturally I?m not going to Le Mans feeling totally convinced we will come away with a great result but I feel confident that I can put up a fight, like I did at Jerez, but this time higher up the order.?

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) says:
?I was a little disappointed to have an extra weekend off because I wanted to race straight away. I?m confident after the work we did at Jerez, especially the test because we improved a lot under braking and that will be decisive at Le Mans. I can?t wait to go racing again and I head to France in high spirits and hopeful of improving on my race from Jerez. I had fun in Spain and even though I would have obviously preferred to finish at the front of the group I was fighting with it was a great battle. Maybe with a little more determination I could have finished seventh and if I could make that my objective at Le Mans it wouldn?t be bad. It isn?t one of my favourite circuits but I always seem to have done well at Le Mans, including one of my best results of the 2007 season, a second place in 2008 and a victory last year, so I am confident. You never know what will happen with the weather but with the new track surface it should be less of a concern.?

Interwetten Honda MotoGP rider Hiroshi Aoyama says:
?I expect a lot from Le Mans. I know the track and don?t mind it, but the weather is very critical there. It is always dry/rain/dry/rain and never all dry or all wet. But the layout of the track is very close to the Motegi track with a lot of stop-and-go sections and that suits the Japanese riders somehow. We have tested a lot in Jerez the day after the race and I have a much better feeling with the bike now. I hope the feeling will be there from the first practice on and to improve during these sessions to be strong in the race. Nevertheless I never had a podium there, so we will have to wait and see what happens."

 

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ON THE WAY TO LE MANS FOR THE THIRD GRAND PRIX OF THE SEASON

There was expecting an immediate redemption after the problems had in the first GP of the season, and partly had it in the last GP. At Jerez de la Frontera, both riders of the Pramac Racing Team did not disfigured, concluding the race in the seventh position with Mika Kallio and fifteenth with Aleix Espargar?, it was an unlucky race for the young Catalan who has damaged his bike after a fall. The final place of the Finnish rider was very important because he had start the race from the last position on the grid, and he had battled lap after lap overtaking opponents ahead of him. Now we all go to France on the Le Mans track. The circuit of Le Mans is one of the fixed stage of the Championship, Sunday the twenty fourth French Grand Prix will take place on the track made famous worldwide thanks to the endurance races that employ riders and drivers for 24 hours. The Pramac Racing has always had an uneasy relationship with this track, having scored just one podium here in 2004 when the Pramac's brand logo was on the hulls of the bike of Max Biaggi. Following that season, there were mixed results on the circuit with some withdrawals and some position far from the top riders. Last year the team was ranked fifteenth with Canepa, and a retired result for Kallio after he had covered eleven laps. It is from the Finn rider that the Team expert a good result so that he can continue to get results that he can certainly reach. Mika has always had a good feeling with the French track; here he has achieved two podium when he was riding a 125cc bike, a second place in 2006 and third in 2005.

Paolo Campinoti - Team Principal Pramac Racing Team

"I am very satisfied for the result that both riders have obtained in Jerez, Mika was the protagonist of a splendid comeback that give us good feelings for the rest of the season and confirms its great value as a rider. Aleix had some problems, but he has proven to be very fast on the track and that he had a great character, is not easy to get back on track to prove your worth if you know that you have been lapped some times. My hope is that both drivers will improve their positions in the starting grid and that both can be protagonists of a great race, we are aware of their value, and we will work to offer them a perfect bike for this track. "

Mika Kallio

"The result of Jerez has given me enormous confidence for this season, I wanted to send a signal to those who always supported me even in difficult times and I think I did. I've heard a lot of trust around me even after the bad Saturday qualifying laps, starting in last place is not exactly the best thing, but I had a great race pace that allowed me to close in the seventh position. I would like to confirm this position even in the next Grand Prix, even managing to get a better starting position. I have a fairly good feeling with this track of Le Mans, where I had good results in the past: I got the podium twice, I was second in 2006 and third in 2005. In both occasions I was driving a 125 cc. Last year, unfortunately I had some problems throughout the weekend, I started in fourteenth position, I was able to move up to tenth position but on the eleventh lap I retired from the race. "

Aleix Espargar?

"I look forward to the Sunday race to try to finally get a result that can repay the trust and confidence that the team has placed in me during the beginning of this season. The weekend in Jerez has been unlucky and difficult for me, I slipped both in qualifying and in the race, undermining the work done on my bike to get a good result. I still wanted to prove that I could be fast on the track, so I went back on track even if I had been lapped several times. I raced in Le Mans just three times till now getting a ninth place as best result in 2008 driving a 250 cc. I hope to have an immediate good feeling with the track so that I can try to have better lap times. "

 

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DUCATI MOTOGP TEAM READY FOR LE MANS CHALLENGE

The MotoGP World Championship enters new level of intensity this weekend as the Grand Prix de France at the historic Bugatti circuit in Le Mans kicks off a run of seven races in a little over two months before the summer break.

The Ducati MotoGP Team, which has proven to be competitive on different tracks with both riders, is looking to make the most of the potential of riders and bike as Casey Stoner aims to recover lost ground in the championship and Nicky Hayden targets a continuation of his positive early season progress.

Le Mans, widely known as a typical ?stop and go? circuit, has proven to be a challenge for Ducati in the past although the factory has celebrated podiums there on two occasions, with Stoner in 2007 and Capirossi in 2006. However, the new specification GP10 machine has given the Ducati MotoGP Team plenty of reason for optimism as they look to tackle the unique demands of the French circuit this weekend.

CASEY STONER, Ducati MotoGP Team
?Because of the ?stop and go? nature of the circuit at Le Mans you need a bike that is very stable on the brakes but also agile and quick in corner exit, especially in the slow sections. In the past we have usually managed to be fast and run at the front but we?ve never come away with the results that we would have liked. This year I think we can have higher expectations than the past two seasons there and we will certainly give our best to meet them.?

NICKY HAYDEN, Ducati MotoGP Team
?Le Mans is probably the most difficult circuit on the calendar for me because I think it is the only place I?ve never been on the podium or the front row at, so it will be interesting to see how we go this year. As I have said a few times we have made a good start to the season and put two good races together but we have to keep our feet on the ground and keep working because our objective is to consistently perform at a high level and close the gap even further to those front guys. The last couple of tenths are definitely the hardest to find but I feel comfortable with the bike and the team, I?m enjoying myself and I feel confident about the rest of the season.?

VITTORIANO GUARESCHI, Team Manager
?We have never produced amazing results at Le Mans but this year I am expecting a good race from both our riders ? partly because for various reasons in the past we probably haven?t capitalised on our potential there and also because we are more competitive in general now. Casey and Nicky are in great shape and the GP10, with its more linear power curve, will put less stress on the tyres at this track and should also be easier for the riders to handle around this track.?

THE TRACK
Located in the Sarthe region, a couple of hours? drive from the capital city of Paris, Le Mans is renowned for the 24 Hour automobile race. The Bugatti circuit, which is very different to the actual 24 Hour circuit, plays host to the MotoGP race, having returned to the calendar back in 1999. Considered a ?stop and go? circuit, Le Mans is riddled with slow corners but also features one of the fastest on the calendar, which comes at the end of the start-finish straight. A host of hairpins and chicanes call for balance and control under repeated heavy braking as well as corner speed and good acceleration on exit. With nine right-hand corners and only four left-handers the track is also a major test for tyres.

LE MANS TRACK FACTS

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2008), 1?34.215 - 159.910 Km/h
Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2008), 1?32.647 - 162.617 Km/h

Circuit Length: 4,185 km
MotoGP Race 2010: 28 laps (117.18 km)
MotoGP Timetable 2010: 14:00 Local Time
Number of laps: 28
Race distance: 117.180

PODIUM 2009 : 1st Jorge Lorenzo, 2nd Marco Melandri, 3rd Dani Pedrosa
POLE 2009: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2009), 1?33.974 - 160.320 Km/h

DUCATI MotoGP TEAM?S BEST RESULTS AT LE MANS
2009: 5th (Stoner)
2008: 15th (Melandri)
2007: 3rd (Stoner)
2006: 2nd (Capirossi)
2005: 7th (Capirossi)
2004: 8th (Bayliss)
2003: DNF

DUCATI MotoGP TEAM ? RIDER INFO

CASEY STONER
Age: 24 (Born 16th October 1985 in Southport, Queensland, Australia)
Residency: Switzerland
Bike: Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 129 (68xMotoGP, 31x250, 30x125)
GP Victories: 27 (20xMotoGP, 5x250, 2x125)
First GP victory: Valencia, 2003 (125)
First GP: Great Britain, 2001 (125)
Pole positions: 22 (18xMotoGP, 2x250, 2x125)
First pole position: Italy, 2003 (125)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2007)

MotoGP track record at Le Mans:
2009: Grid:3rd. Race: 5th
2008: Grid: 3rd. Race: 16th
2007: Grid: 2nd Race: 3rd
2006: Grid: 11th. Race: 4th

NICKY HAYDEN
Age: 28 (born 30th July 1981 in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA)
Residency: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Bike: Ducati MotoGP Team Desmosedici GP10
GP Appearances: 118 (118xMotoGP)
First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)
Number of victories: 3 (3xMotoGP)
First GP victory: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
Pole positions: 5 (5xMotoGP)
First Pole: USGP, 2005 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (MotoGP, 2006)

MotoGP track record at Le Mans:
2009: Grid: 13th. Race: 12th
2008: Grid: 6th. Race: 8th
2007: Grid: 7th Race: NC
2006: Grid: 10th. Race: 5th
2005: Grid: 5th. Race: 6th
2004: Grid: 7th. Race: 11th
2003: Grid: 13th. Race: 12th

 

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France beckons Fiat Yamaha to continue stunning start

With a win and a podium each so far this season, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will arrive at Le Mans this weekend with high hopes of continuing their victorious start to the season. The Fiat Yamaha pair lie first and second in the championship after two races, with Lorenzo four points ahead of Rossi following his magnificent home victory last time out.

The Spaniard turned 23 two days after Jerez and the memory of his first home MotoGP win was still fresh in his mind as he celebrated his birthday at home in Barcelona, following a successful one-day test. He cannot help but feel confident for another good weekend in Le Mans, where last year he kept his head to win by 17 seconds as the weather wreaked havoc on all around him, and the season before he finished second despite riding with two broken ankles. The Mallorcan has one other win at Le Mans, in 2007 on the way to his second 250cc title.

The French Grand Prix in 2009 on the other hand is one that nine-time World Champion Rossi would rather forget, plagued as he was by a catalogue of mishaps and visits to pit lane before limping home in 16th position. His previous record at the famous French track is exemplary however, with two wins for Yamaha in 2008 and 2005, as well as one other win and six podiums in all classes. Another two weeks off has given him time to fully recover from the shoulder injury that hampered him in Jerez and he will be back on top form and shooting for the top this time out.

Le Mans is most famous as home to the iconic 24-Hour race but the MotoGP also draws a huge crowd every year. The first part of the track is the most difficult in what is not a particularly technical circuit, with the high-speed, uphill turn one giving way to several tight chicanes. The remainder of the track is made up of short straights and hairpins calling for a set up that yields both balance and control under hard and repeated braking and a quick transfer from full braking to full acceleration on the exit of the corners.

Jorge Lorenzo - "An amazing and crazy race!"
"Despite our victory in Jerez and taking the lead in the world standings I continue to think that I am not the favourite because the season is very long and it has only just started! I am very proud however because Jerez was my first victory at home in MotoGP. Last year I won in Le Mans in an amazing and crazy race. It was a very complicated because of the rain and drying track, but I think that everybody in our team did an unbelievable job, above all on Sunday. I know that I used everything I had, from the very first laps right to the end. I hope the fans aren't waiting for a repeat this weekend! Of course the weather is always a risk in Le Mans, but I hope for sun. I've been on the podium twice there, last season and when I won my second 250cc title, so I am looking forward to trying again. I've had almost three weeks since Jerez and I know that I am ready for this second European race."

Valentino Rossi - "Back to full strength"
"My shoulder is more or less recovered now so I hope I will be back to full strength in Le Mans. Despite the disaster of last year's race, Le Mans is a good track for me and the Yamaha always goes well there. The biggest problem is the weather, but after last year I think we deserve a sunny French GP! We've made a good start to the season, with the win in Qatar and then another podium, but we have also struggled with the bike in some areas and so we need to try to improve our performance. We had a good test after Jerez so I hope that we will be able to use that information to start strongly here."

Wilco Zeelenberg - "Looking to carry on our good start"
"After Jorge's brilliant win in Jerez everyone has had another long rest and now we're excited to get back to work and carry on our good start to the season. There is a very long way to go and we won't get too excited, but just try to continue in the same way. Le Mans has been a good track for Yamaha in the past and last year Jorge had a great win there in very difficult circumstances. Hopefully the race will be a little more simple this year, without the rain!"

Davide Brivio - "Something to forget"
"We have something to forget in Le Mans after last year, when it rained, we had some difficulties and took no points! In general however Le Mans is always a very good track for Yamaha and we have had some good results there in the past. We hope for good weather this time. We have started the championship very strongly and our aim now is to continue this trend and remaining close or at the top by taking as many points as possible. We really hope to do well here in order to put us on a good footing for the busy period of June and July, when the championship will really start to take shape."

Valentino Rossi : Information
Age: 31
Lives: Tavullia, Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 104 (78 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 229 (169 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 58 (48 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
World Championships: 9 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 6 x MotoGP)

Jorge Lorenzo: Information
Age: 23
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 27 (6 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 130 (35 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 35 (9 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7)

Le Mans: Record Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2008, 1'34.215

Le Mans: Best Lap
D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'32.647

Grand Prix Results: Le Mans 2009
1. J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 47'52.678
2. M. Melandri (Kawasaki) +17.710
3. D. Pedrosa (Honda) +19.893

16. V. Rossi (Yamaha) +2 Lap

 

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Fast start for Tech 3 in home race

R1 YamahaThe Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team made a positive start to its all-important home race at the Le Mans circuit in France today.

Colin Edwards overcame an early set-up issue to impressively climb his way up the rankings into sixth position at the session's conclusion, the Texan ending with a best time of 1.35.089 in a closely contested opening practice that saw the top eight split by less than a second.

The iconic Le Mans circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Edwards with two of his 11 MotoGP podium finishes scored at the French venue. And Edwards finished just 0.100s behind Dani Pedrosa to finish top satellite team rider.

Ben Spies took full advantage of the hot conditions to demonstrate once again that he needs little time to master a new circuit and post competitive times against the world's elite MotoGP riders.

Spies has never ridden at Le Mans previously but he was instantly able to set a consistently fast pace in the 1.35 bracket as temperatures soared to 28 degrees.

As his confidence grew, Spies climbed into the top six at one stage before he settled for a hugely encouraging eighth position.

Spies again accomplished his first objectives to finish inside the top ten and be less than a second off the quickest pace. The 25-year-old's best time of 1.35.291 was just 0.889s away from Valentino Rossi's best pace and just over 0.2s away from a place in the top six. Spies is confident that overnight set-up changes to his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine will enable him to narrow the gap to the leading group and improve his position on the timesheets tomorrow.

Colin Edwards 6th 1.35.089 ? 26 laps

?I am not as happy or comfortable as I thought I would be at this track. I know this is a good track for me and also the Yamaha, but at the moment I just don't have the comfort level to enable me to push as hard as I know I can. I don't feel comfortable going into the corner and on the exit I'm losing too much. I had the same sort of issue at the last two races and even though I've got a completely different balance on the bike now, I still seem to be struggling. I need the bike to be a bit smoother and less nervous. We can make it better and I know my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 will figure something out because they always do. I don't think the set-up is that far away but I just need to refine it. This is a massive race for Tech 3 and Monster, so I'm determined to improve and put on a good show on Sunday.?

Ben Spies 8th 1.35.291 ? 27 laps

?It was a pretty good session. Early on the main focus is just to learn the track and I felt good pretty much all over the track apart from a couple of points that I figured out right at the end to get in a good lap time. The track doesn't have anything super tricky to learn but I've still got to get my bearings at Turn One a little bit, but for just one hour I got a lot accomplished. We can make some changes and I'm sure we can find a bit of time in the bike. The front-end can be dialled in a little bit better. But because I don't really have the experience at this track, it is hard to know what the bike is capable of. But I feel like there's a couple of tenths in the bike and me. I'm under a second off the best time and in the top ten and that is my target right now. I don't believe in the next session I'll be running at the front, but I can certainly cut the gap and move up a bit more.?

 

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STONER AND HAYDEN MAKE GRADUAL PROGRESS ON DAY ONE IN FRANCE

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden made discreet starts to the opening free practice for the Grand Prix de France but they were both satisfied with their performance by the end of session, with Stoner able to reflect on the second fastest outright lap and Hayden happy in seventh.

In ideal conditions, with blue skies and warm sunshine contributing to track temperatures of 44?C ? a pleasurable rarity for this circuit - the Australian took a few laps to get up to speed as his team made adjustments to a new set of handlebars, before closing to within less than three tenths of the circuit record as he secured top spot overnight. The American, meanwhile, has traditionally struggled to get up to speed at a circuit he rates amongst his least favourite but he was able to gradually climb the order today with a host of tweaks to the base set-up that served him so well at the opening two races in Qatar and Spain.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 2nd (1?34.508)
"To be honest we had a fairly good session. It didn?t start off so well because we?re trying some new handlebars - we?ve made them a lot stronger so that if we ever have a small ?off? in a race we?ve got a better chance of picking the bike up and continuing. This has been a problem for us a couple of times in the past and even though the track conditions were perfect today you never know what can happen with the weather at Le Mans! We didn?t have the position quite right at the start so we had to spend a little time fixing that but from there on we made gradual progress. The initial feeling with the bike wasn?t great but it felt better once we stiffened things up both front and rear. Always when you go stiffer you lose a little grip so it was a case of playing around with the rear suspension and tyre pressures to find some traction. By the end I felt comfortable and we?re satisfied to be in the hunt because we feel this is a circuit that maybe suits some of our rivals more than us.?

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 7th (1?35.223)
?For some reason whenever I come to Le Mans nothing comes to me real easy and that was certainly the case for a bit today. For the last run the team did a great job, changing a few things with the electronics to get more traction and less pumping and also a change to the rear shock that improved the feeling quite a lot. That gave me a half second over the last couple of laps and the feeling was a lot better. We?re still a long way from the front group but I definitely feel better after that last run and hopefully we found a direction. I always expect a hard weekend here and this one won?t be any different but I?m feeling positive after today.?

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2008), 1?34.215 - 159.910 Km/h
Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2008), 1?32.647 - 162.617 Km/h

 

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Rossi fires to the front in Le Mans with Lorenzo close in third

The third Grand Prix of the season got underway in France this afternoon and Valentino Rossi started the weekend in strong form by finishing the first practice on top of the standings. His team-mate and last year's race winner Jorge Lorenzo finished third on an unusually sunny day at the famous Le Mans 24-Hour track.

Rossi and his crew had made some significant improvements to their setting during the Jerez test and they were rewarded with immediate gratification today, as the Italian felt comfortable and fast on his M1 right from the start. Le Mans is accepted as a good track for Yamaha and it looked just that today as the World Champion lapped consistently in the top three before moving into first with his final lap. This was despite some lingering pain in his recovering shoulder, which he hopes will ease as the weekend progresses.

Lorenzo, who recently turned 23, was masterful in the wet here last year and looked equally happy in today's sunshine, overcoming a small electronics problem at the start to find a good setting and turn out a string of laps in the 1'34s. He finished the session in third behind Casey Stoner and just 0.140 seconds off his team-mate.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1st Time: 1'34.402 Laps: 28
"I'm really happy about this practice and especially about my last lap, which was very quick. During the test after Jerez we got a better understanding of the problems we had and managed to improve our setting a lot, and that's where we've started from today. It's good to be this fast already. Unfortunately I still have some pain in my shoulder in the two or three hard braking areas, but I hope with the adrenaline tomorrow and Sunday it will be better and won't cause a problem. Our bike is historically very good here and it feels great in the twisty parts especially, so we're hopeful for a good weekend."

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rd Time: 1'34.542 Laps: 31
"At the start of the session we had a small problem on one bike with the electronics but we swapped to the other bike and things were okay from there. Little by little I found a good pace and at the end I was able to do a lot of laps in the ?34s. My bike feels good here - as everyone says it is always a good track for Yamaha - and although we are still struggling a bit in the acceleration I am feeling good."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"A good first session; our job went quite smoothly. We just made a few small adjustments and the results were good, so we're working in the right way. The only issue is that Valentino still has some pain in his right shoulder, which is disturbing him a bit in the hard braking areas. Anyway despite this we were fastest so we've done a good job and now we'll look to continue with a few small improvements tomorrow."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"We're pleased with our start today and we were very consistent in practice. We had a few small problems at the beginning but we solved them quickly and then worked on two different settings, comparing them and finding some plus and minus points to both. Jorge's lap time is already good and he's third and very close. Tomorrow we will look at ways to make some more small steps to hopefully gain a couple of tenths, but this is a good start."

 

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DE PUNIET TO SEEK THE BEST SET UP AT LE MANS OPENING DAY

Le Mans, 21 May: the MotoGP teams and riders gathered at the famous ?24 Heures circuit du Mans? in the Sarthe region of France for the opening day of the third round of the season. With surprising air temperature of 28?C the premier class riders have joined the 4.185 km stop-and-go race track for the first 60-minute session in preparation for Sunday?s 28-lap race.

LCR Honda MotoGP racer Randy de Puniet has made a strong start to his 2010 season (actually 6th in the standing) and aims to give his warm fans something extra to cheer this week end. The 29-year-old riding the RC212V no. 14 went around the track 27 times clocking the 14th fastest lap time of the session (1?36.086). De Puniet and his crew went in search of the chassis and braking improvements at the stop-start nature circuit in order to take a step forward in tomorrow?s two sessions. Todays? frontrunner Rossi set a quickest lap time of 1?34.402.

De Puniet ? 14th - 1?36.086

De Puniet ? 14th: ?It?s not the session we expected but the overall package is the same of the first two races and we have to adjust it. We have started the session with front and rear race tyres and we kept them till the end. At the beginning I was pretty fast but the bike was too aggressive. We have got some issues in chassis and braking stability and the bike is really nervous in changing direction. We have to fix these points to take a step forward for tomorrow?s qualifying?.

 

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NINTH BEST TIME FOR ALEIX ESPARGARO' IN THE FIRST FREE PRACTISE OF THE GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE. FIFTEENTH TIME FOR MIKA KALLIO.

A beautiful sunny day today in Le Mans for the first free practice of the Grand Prix de France. Both Pramac Racing Team riders have not disfigured obtaining the ninth time with Aleix Espargaro and the fifteenth time with Mika Kallio. An excellent proof for the Catalan rider that gives good feelings for the tomorrow second free practice and the qualifying laps that will set the starting grid for the Grand Prix de France. Aleix is not so far from the leader of the first free practice, Valentino Rossi, in fact, the young rider of the Pramac Racing Team has just one second gap from the World Champion. In the other side of the box the technicians have already identified the changes that have to be made on Mika's bike to make it more balanced for the tomorrow practice and help the Finn rider to confirm the excellent results of the Spanish Grand Prix.


Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Technical Director

"We're halfway happy for the results of these first free practice, if Aleix was the protagonist of a very good test, in the other side we had some problems with Mika's bike that did not allow us to reduce the gap from the riders ahead of him. We have already identified some setting changes that will allow him to have a more stable bike on the corners entry, we hope that this will allow him to get a better qualifying time tomorrow. After the good result of Jerez we have to keep high concentration to improve our results ."

Aleix Espargaro - Pramac Racing Team - 9th fastest time in 1'35 .450

"I am very happy with this result, especially because on Fridays I generally have some problems to get confidence with the new circuits. I am excited to have close the first free practice with just one second gap from the first rider and also because I was faster than other riders that have much more experience than me. I was able to receive some technical advice from Ducati, I still have some problems with the front wheel but I have got a lot of trust in my team and I'm sure that tomorrow they will give me a even more competitive bike to have the best deal with the second free practice and qualifying. "

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 15th best time in 1'36 .292

"I am a bit upset about the result, but we did a tremendous job with the Team to try to solve all the problems and I think we have found the right balance for tomorrow. Unfortunately, my riding style does not allow me to be fast with this bike on some circuits and for this reason we need a little more time of the others to find the faster time. We remain however confident since after the first day of the last Grand Prix of Jerez, the situation was even more uncertain. "

 

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Bautista battles the pain on first day in Le Mans

Rizla Suzuki?s ?lvaro Bautista had to contend with severe discomfort and pain during the first practice session at Le Mans in France today.

Bautista suffered a broken collarbone just over a week ago and had surgery to plate the break only last Friday, but he worked hard on his fitness during the last seven days and was back in the saddle of his Suzuki GSV-R for this afternoon?s session. He battled manfully for 19 laps of 4,185m French track, recording a fastest time of 1?37.525. Bautista used no pain-killing treatment before today?s session and will re-assess his condition after tomorrow morning?s final practice session to judge whether he is fit enough to race on Sunday.

Loris Capirossi (P11, 1?35.685, 23 laps) had a strong and productive first day. He only used one set of Bridgestone tyres for the whole session and is confident that tomorrow will bring a more positive result. He was in-touch with the front group throughout the day and will be determined to be right in amongst that group on race-day. Today?s practice was held in warm and sunny conditions with air temperatures getting up to 28?C. Valentino Rossi on his factory Yamaha set the fastest time of the day.

Rizla Suzuki has one more hour of free practice on Saturday morning, followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday?s 28-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) when hopefully both Rizla Suzuki riders will line up on the grid.

?lvaro Bautista:

?I thought that I would feel better today than I do! I have worked very hard this week to be fit and I was confident that I would be able to ride the bike. It was very difficult though, because after two or three laps I started to lose energy and my left arm was hurting a lot and I couldn?t ride like I wanted to. Tomorrow I will have a pain-killing injection and hopefully the pain will be less. I will then make a decision if I continue with the weekend, today the maximum I felt I could do was five laps and the race is 28, so I still have a long way to go. I will try with the injection and see if things improve.?

Loris Capirossi:

?I did the whole session with one set of tyres - and on my own - so I could see where we were at. It was a pretty good session, but right at the end we made a different setting that didn?t work at all, so that was a bit disappointing. We do have a good base to work on now and we will definitely improve tomorrow. Everything seems to be going ok at the moment, so we hope things stay that way and we?ll have good weekend.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

??lvaro chose to ride today with no pain-killers and no injection, to assess exactly where he was at and he certainly lost his sun-tan over the course of the session! Motorcycle racers are a tough breed, but there comes a point when pain and lack of strength will win the day. Hopefully with some physiotherapy tonight and the injection in the morning, we?ll be in a better position to understand if a full race distance on Sunday is possible.

?I think Loris is in a stronger position that the timesheet shows. He used the same tyres for the whole session and the final setting unfortunately took us back a couple of steps. I think Loris can improve a lot tomorrow and get close to the fight with the front group.?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Free Practice Classification:

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1?34.402: 2. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.106: 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.140: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.223: 5. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.587: 11. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.283: 17. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +3.123

 

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Bautista out of the French Grand Prix

?lvaro Bautista has been forced to withdraw from the rest of this weekend?s proceedings at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans after a crash in practice caused him further injuries.

Bautista suffered from a big high-side on only the third lap of this morning?s practice session He landed hard on the asphalt and sustained some more minor injuries, as well as aggravating the broken collarbone that he sustained only a week ago. Bautista was one of three riders to all crash on the same lap this morning, all caught out by the low track temperatures. He was treated by Dr. Costa?s staff straight after the session and after careful consideration and discussions with the team, took the decision to abandon any further attempts to race this weekend.

Rizla Suzuki will not replace Bautista with another rider for the French Grand Prix, so the team will field a one-man attack as Loris Capirossi takes on the responsibility for the squad. Bautista will return to Spain for further treatment - as well as rest and recuperation - to make sure he is 100% fit for the next round of the season at Mugello in Italy in two weeks? time.

 

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Third row for Capirossi and disappointment for Bautista at a sunny Le Mans

Rizla Suzuki?s Loris Capirossi will start tomorrow?s French Grand Prix as the team?s sole rider from the third row of the grid after qualifying in ninth place today.

Capirossi (1?34.306, 26 laps) continued with the positive performance from yesterday during both the sessions today. He was consistently within touch of the front pack throughout the whole of the qualifying session and with a few more modifications to his Suzuki GSV-R this evening, he is confident he can have a strong race tomorrow.

Capirossi will be Rizla Suzuki?s only rider participating in tomorrow?s French Grand Prix, following the withdrawal of ?lvaro Bautista earlier today. Bautista suffered from a big high-side in this morning?s practice session and the fresh injuries he sustained ? added to his already broken collarbone ? forced him to make the decision to take no further part in this weekend?s events. He was disappointed about not competing in France, but also mindful of getting back to full fitness for a hectic schedule ahead.

Today?s Qualifying was held in hot and sunny conditions with air temperatures reaching 28?C and track temperatures getting up to 46?C. World Champion Valentino Rossi set the fastest time of the day and will start tomorrow?s 28-lap race from pole position. The race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT); with Capirossi flying the flag for the Rizla Suzuki team.

Loris Capirossi:

?The grid position is not the best, but I am quite happy because we have worked so hard for the whole weekend. We started to adapt the bike a bit more over the two days and now I think we are close to getting what we are looking for. My rhythm today was good and I didn?t follow anybody at all in the two sessions, which is good because it helps us understand what the rhythm and performance will be like in a race. I am really optimistic for tomorrow and I think if I get a good start I can be involved in the action towards the front.?

?lvaro Bautista:

?It is not a good way to say bye-bye to a MotoGP race! This morning I had an injection to help with the pain and for two laps the feeling was a little bit better, not a big difference, but better. Then I crashed and I don?t really know why because I was not going very fast and I just lost the rear tyre. After that I felt more pain down my left side and I decided not to race here and make sure I make a full recovery for the next race. In the future we have lots of races together so it is better to be 100% in all of them, than be 50% or less in one!?

Paul Denning ?Team Manager:

?Loris has improved in all the sessions and if we can tidy things up a bit more before the Grand Prix, then I think he has the race-craft and determination to grind out a decent result tomorrow. The focus for the crew overnight will be to make the bike a bit easier to ride, particularly in the faster braking areas, and to create a bit more stability, which will be important over race distance. This isn?t Loris?s favourite track, but it is certainly his favourite weather, so I think he?ll be fired-up and pushing for his best result of the season so far tomorrow.

?It is a great disappointment not to have ?lvaro competing for the rest of the weekend, but in the end the team and the medical staff at the track had to advise him to sit out and let the relatively minor injuries he has heal in time for Mugello. The combination of injuries would have significantly compromised his safety and possibly that of other riders. He?s disappointed, but we are now guaranteed that he?ll be fit and strong for Mugello and we?ll be looking forward to him building on his strong Jerez race performance.?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Qualifying Practice Classification:

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1?33.408: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.054: 3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.165: 4. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.416: 5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.437: 9. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.898:

 

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TWO FACES QUALIFICATIONS FOR RIDERS OF THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IN THE GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE. TENTH POSITION FOR ESPARGARO', SIXTEENTH POSITION FOR A INJURED KALLIO.

A two face Saturday qualify for the Pramac Racing Team, but with a positive outcome, on one side the Team celebrates the excellent tenth place on the grid of the young Catalan rider Aleix Espargaro, which continues to demonstrate a very good feeling with the French track, the other side is breathing for what it could become a compromised race since the beginning. In this morning second free practice session, Mika Kallio was protagonist, after five minutes from the start, of a fall that caused him the dislocation of his left shoulder. The rider was promptly back on track thanks to the work of the mobile clinic and despite the pain he participated at the qualifications of this early afternoon. He tried in every way to reduce the gap from the riders ahead of him, but the time lost during the morning and the strong pain did not allow him to obtain a better position than the last place on the starting grid. The team still has a tremendous confidence in both riders for tomorrow which will be interesting and combative.


Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Technical Director

"We are delighted for the excellent time that Aleix made, he will start from the tenth position, shame because it could reduce more the lap time, but he reached the finish line at the same time that the checkered flag was showed and this don't allowed him to take another lap. Excellent time, however, that bodes well for the tomorrow race, we hope that the starting straight will let him recover already some other positions so that he can prove himself as a great rider. We feel so sorry for Mika, the fall during the second round of the free practice of this morning did not allow us to test all the changes that we had set for his bike. However, we have worked hard through all the qualifications being able to reduce by half a second the best lap time from yesterday. Mika has a lot of pain in the shoulder and this didn't allowed him to push hard in qualifying today, we hope that tomorrow he will accuse less pain and that he becomes protagonist of a great race. "

Aleix Espargaro - Pramac Racing Team - 10th best time in 1'34 .514

"I am delighted with the result that I obtained, I have reduced by almost a second the best lap time I had yesterday, I also kept the same gap that I had from the leader of the first free practice. So I start out with an enormous charge for tomorrow, I hope to be able to finally repay the confidence that the team has placed in me during this difficult start of the championship. I have a good bike and the technicians have worked to make my bike perfect for this race. Too bad for not being able to make another qualifying lap, maybe I could further lower my lap time. This is absolutely the best position I have got on the grid since I race in MotoGP, I have a good feeling with this track and I hope to do a good race tomorrow. "

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 15th best time in 1'35 .810

"During the free practice of this morning I crashed after just two rounds, this caused me a shoulder problem and has not allowed me to try on the track the set that the team had prepared for my bike. Fortunately, the shoulder is not broken, the doctors of the mobile clinic have made me some infiltration to allow me to do better qualifications. Despite the pain, I really wanted to take part in qualifying and I try to make the perfect balanced bike for the race of tomorrow. Unfortunately, the shoulder pain and the time that I have lost this morning, have just allowed me to reduced just half a second the time that I have achieved in the practice yesterday. To start again from the bottom of the grid is not so nice, but I will give my best to repay the tremendous work that the team have done for me. "

 

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STONER AND HAYDEN START FROM SECOND ROW AT LE MANS

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden will start alongside each other from the second row of the grid in tomorrow?s Grand Prix de France, having qualified fourth and fifth fastest this afternoon. It is the first time Ducati have had both riders qualify inside the top five at the Le Mans circuit ? the latest evidence of the improved versatility of the Desmosedici GP10.

Both the Australian and the American launched strong challenges for pole position in an exciting finale to the session, which eventually saw Valentino Rossi claim top spot on the final lap ahead of his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa completing the front row. Stoner?s qualifying effort was only marginally quicker than his race pace, which bodes well for tomorrow, whilst in contrast Hayden admitted he still has work to do after making a notable improvement on the softer rubber.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 4th (1?33.824)
"We have a lot of work to do to try and get more performance out of the softer tyre because our rivals seem to be able to make bigger improvements on it than us. We didn?t manage to lap much faster than the times we were doing on the harder race tyre so that is a little disappointing because it would have been nice to start from the front row here but at the same time we know we have a good pace over race distance. In general the bike is going really well, our race pace is more competitive than it was at this stage of the weekend in Jerez so I?m confident we can do a good job tomorrow.?

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th (1?33.845)
?The second row for us is a positive result because to be honest my race pace hasn?t been great and now we?ve given ourselves a chance because the start is so important here. We made a big step with the bike in the session this morning but weren?t really able to follow it up with another one this afternoon so we have work to do tonight because at the moment it?s looking like a really tough race for us. At least the weather is fantastic ? I don?t think I?ve ever seen so many fans here and they deserve it because they?ve had to put up with a lot of rain over the years! Tomorrow they might be leaving with sunburn but they won?t be complaining.?

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2008), 1?34.215 - 159.910 Km/h
Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2008), 1?32.647 - 162.617 Km/h

 

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Rossi takes pole with Lorenzo hot on his heels in France

Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi took the 59th pole position of his career and his first of the season today with an authoritative performance in sunny Le Mans. His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was just five hundredths of a second off his time, as the Fiat Yamaha pair put up a commanding display ahead of tomorrow's French Grand Prix.

After topping the time sheets yesterday, Rossi was third this morning with Lorenzo ahead of him in second. This afternoon temperatures once again soared into the high twenties and both riders looked in menacing form, having already found excellent base settings for their M1s yesterday. Both had spent time at the top of the standings before the session entered its final quarter and with ten minutes to go Lorenzo went top again, becoming the first man to dip into the 1'33s. The Mallorcan held out for a few minutes before Casey Stoner and then Dani Pedrosa took over but it was Rossi who had the most still hidden up his sleeve, the 31-year-old maestro pulling out a brilliant lap in a time of 1'33.408, a target that proved unassailable in the final two minutes.

Rossi is still worried about his damaged shoulder over race distance tomorrow but he will be doing all he can to take a second win of the year, as will his championship-leading team-mate Lorenzo, when the third round of the season gets underway at 1400 CET tomorrow.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1stTime: 1'33.408Laps: 30
"This weather is really making me very happy, because for once in Le Mans we have been able to use all of the sessions properly and now here we are on pole. My setting is good, I feel comfortable on my M1 and Bridgestone tyres and my race pace is not bad either so everything is working out. It's a great pleasure to be on pole and when I looked and saw the lap time I was very pleased with my performance and with how well we had worked, so thanks to all my team. I am still worried about my shoulder because sincerely today after ten or fifteen laps I started to lose power, but I hope adrenaline will take over in the race and that I will be able to arrive fast right to the end."

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2ndTime: 1'33.462Laps: 31
"This was another good session and we are very strong, although there are quite a few riders here who are fast with a good race pace. Today I was consistent and I can ride happily at around 1'34.5 so if I can keep this up during the race then we have a good chance. I need to try to get a good start tomorrow and be stronger during the first few laps, then I think I can fight for victory."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"A good job from us all to get the first pole position of the year. The bike is working well and we only need to make a few small adjustments for tomorrow to be ready to fight. Valentino's shoulder isn't 100% and we aren't sure how it will hold up under race distance but we've done the best we can do to put him in the right position so now we will just have to see how it goes. It looks like the weather could be even hotter so at least we don't have to worry about that!"

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"This was a good session and we're pleased with the way we've worked. Jorge has a good grid spot without the added pressure of being on pole and his race pace is definitely fast enough to allow him to run at the front tomorrow. We hope that the work we did in Jerez will help him with his start and give him a bit more confidence and I'm sure he won't let the others go tomorrow over the important first ten laps."


Edwards on third row, 12th for brave Spies in Le Mans

Colin Edwards and Ben Spies will start the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team's much-anticipated home race in Le Mans from eighth and 12th on the grid respectively.

Concentrating on improving the chassis balance of his YZR-M1 machine in today's qualifying session, Edwards gave the large French crowd supporting the Provence-based team reason to cheer when he surged to the top of the timesheets in brilliant fashion with 25 minutes remaining.

The Texan was able to lap consistently in the top five as the session reached an exciting climax. But within striking distance of a top six place after clocking a best time of 1.34.304, he had to settle for eighth position, just 0.100s behind Andrea Dovizioso's factory Honda.

Spies proved he's got the bravery to match the speed in this afternoon's session, which was run in sunny and humid conditions that saw air temperature peak at 28 degrees.

The Texan suffered a big crash in the early stages of this morning's final practice session when he lost control of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine at the entry to the Dunlop chicane. Spies was thrown several metres in the air before landing heavily on the ground. He suffered a badly swollen left foot, but despite discomfort when downshifting and changing direction,

Spies quickly built up his pace and confidence despite missing nearly a whole hour of crucial set-up time.

Only a quarter of the session had elapsed when he broke into the top ten and the 25-year-old continued to defy the pain with a series of consistent laps. But his courag eous efforts unfortunately didn't see him maintain his place in the top ten. A best time of 1.34.920 left him 12th on the grid, though Spies remains confident that he can challenge in the battle for the top six in tomorrow's 28-lap encounter.

Colin Edwards - Position: 8th Time: 1'34.304Laps: 27
"I'm riding as hard as I can but I've only ended up in eighth position. Those guys at the front have dropped half-a-second off the pole time from last year and while I hate to say it, I couldn't do a mid-33. The bike feels good and I feel good but it's just really hard work trying to run the pace of the front group. We have worked really hard this weekend and we seem to have got a fix on some of the problems we've had at the first two races. I'm much more comfortable on the bike and the feeling with the front-end is coming better. I liked the harder tyre more than the soft tyre today. The soft tyre felt like it moved a little bit too much but the race tyre I feel really comfortable with. Getting into a rhythm quick is going to be the key tomorrow. It is going to be a long and tough race but it is a big race for Tech 3 and Monster, so as always I'll be pushing as hard as I can for a good result."

Ben Spies - Position: 12thTime: 1'34.902Laps: 27
"After missing most of the morning session, I 'm not too upset to be where I'm at. Even injury free I wasn't going to be on the front row or anything like that. I just made a mistake this morning. I definitely wasn't starting a fast lap but I might have been going a little too hard for the rear tyre at the time. When it flicked me, my foot was half off the peg and when it snapped back it just completely rolled the ankle and the knee. There are no broken bones and it's nothing major. The pain level is not that bad on the bike but it i s mainly downshifting gears. It's a matter of getting my foot back into position for the corner after shifting. I have to move my whole leg to do it. It'll be a little tough race but it won't hold me back. The foot doesn't feel good now but hopefully for 28 laps I can put it out of my mind and get a good result for Tech 3 and Monster.

Circuit Length: 4180
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1'33.678 (Valentino Rossi, 01/01/2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'32.647 (Daniel Pedrosa, 18/05/2008)
Last Years Winner: Jorge Lorenzo
2010 MotoGP France - Le Mans 22/05/2010
Qualifying 1
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'33.408
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'33.462
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'33.573
4 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 1'33.824
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'33.845
6 Randy De Puniet Honda FRA 1'34.074
7 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 1'34.204
8 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 1'34.304
9 Loris Capirossi Suzuki ITA 1'34.306
10 Aleix Espargaro Ducati ESP 1'34.514
11 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 1'34.523
12 Ben Spies Yamaha USA 1'34.920
13 Marco Simoncelli Honda ITA 1'34.942
14 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 1'34.979
15 Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 1'35.235

 

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Honda's Pedrosa all set to fight for victory again

Two weeks after he scored a brilliant pole position at Jerez, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) missed out on scoring a second consecutive pole by just 0.165 seconds at Le Mans this afternoon. The Spaniard was one of the main players during the hectic final stages of qualifying which saw pole position swap hands three times in the last three minutes.

Pedrosa?s final run put him ahead with three minutes to go, only for Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) to better his time by the tiniest of margins. However, Pedrosa, who started from pole here last year, is staying focused on the race, working with his engineers to squeeze some more performance out of his RCV which he will evaluate in morning warm-up.

Local hero Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) had another superb qualifying to score his third successive second-row start. Once again the Frenchman was the highest-placed privateer rider in MotoGP, a credit to his small but perfectly formed team, run by former 125 GP winner Lucio Cecchinello. Yesterday de Puniet had some issues with braking stability and direction changing, but his engineers worked well to fine tune his RCV for today.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) missed the second row by just one tenth of a second, lacking the front-end feel he needed to push for a better starting position. The Italian, who is using a revised chassis here, will also work to make things better in tomorrow morning?s session.

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) ended qualifying 11th fastest, struggling to reconnect with the pace that he had seemed to have found at Jerez. The Italian has reverted to Showa suspension, following the post-race tests at Jerez, preferring the feeling he gets from the Showa kit.

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) had his best MotoGP qualifying so far, securing 13th place on the grid. The rookie started his first two MotoGP races from 15th and 16th on the grid, so it seems he is starting to feel more at home aboard his RCV.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) has had a challenging two days of practice for his third MotoGP race, ending up 14th on the grid. The Japanese had a minor operation on his left arm to relieve some stiffness issues. He had a difficult Friday session, ending the day 16th, but his crew worked hard to improve his feeling for his RCV and his lap times improved by almost two seconds.

There were several fallers in this morning?s session. Ben Spies (Yamaha), Mika Kallio (Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki) all fell on left-handers ? Le Mans has only four left turns - which can make maintaining optimum temperature on the left side of the tyres tricky in cool conditions. Bautista, who broke a collarbone in a motocross accident a week ago, immediately withdrew from the meeting.

Continued fine weather is forecast for tomorrow?s racing. If all three races are run in the dry it will be the first time in four years that rain hasn?t affected the race day action at Le Mans.


HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V), third at 1m 33.573s, said:
?At the end of the session we could put in a good final lap which has put us on the front row, and this is very important because the lap times are very close here. For the race we need to find some tenths of a second per lap in order to be able to keep a high pace, and at this track you have to be very focused because the race is long and it?s really important to be consistent and not to make any mistakes. Anyway, I think we are in a good position. Now we will sit down with the team and work on the improvements to up our race pace. We?ve had good weather so far this weekend and it looks like it will continue tomorrow, so we?ve been lucky this time. From the front row I hope to make a good start and give myself the best chance in the race.?

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V), sixth at 1m 34.074s, said:
?I am very happy about this result as yesterday?s session was very tough for us. Yesterday after the practice when I said I was confident for today it was not right. I felt very frustrated because I could not lap as I like and the bike was very nervous. But the guys made an excellent job and this morning I immediately felt more comfortable. Then we took a step forward in the qualifying, obtaining the second row once again for the third time this year. Everybody in the team is very pleased with this result and I want to thank them for their efforts. This race is really special for me and I hope to finish well in front of my fans, though I am a bit worried about the start as it is very difficult to overtake on this track.?

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V), seventh at 1m 34.204s, said:
?I cannot be happy to start from the third row because this has the potential to make the race more complicated. So it will it be important to make a good start and stay with the front group ? that?s the plan now. Our race pace is not so bad but we need to improve it a little more. Compared to this morning the feeling with the front was not quite as good and I think this was because of some set-up changes that we made, and also the gap to the front riders was a bit bigger this afternoon. Anyway, we have some ideas of what we can improve and I?m ready to give it my best in the race.?

Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), 11th at 1m 34.523s, said:
?It was a difficult session and the things that we found that worked at Jerez didn?t really happen today. Unfortunately we are down on corner speed because I am struggling to get off the brakes on the way into the turns. We struggled with this yesterday and even though I thought we?d found the solution we had similar problems again today. My riding style relies on corner speed so we need to work on this. Tomorrow will be a tough race and we may have to be on the defensive.?

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V), 13th at 1m 34.942, said:
?I?m pretty happy, to be honest, because we did a good job this morning and I thought I could have done a better time on the softer tyre. Unfortunately a couple of problems emerged with the rear end and I wasn?t able to make the improvement that could have lifted me a few places on the grid. Having said that, I am still confident because my race pace is decent; not quick enough to go with the front guys, but certainly to improve on my position on the grid. I think I can improve on my eleventh place finish from Jerez, and with a bit of luck maybe even challenge for the top eight. That would be great!?

Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V), 14th at 1m 34.978s, said:
?The feeling with my bike improved a bit today and I could push a little harder at the end of the session, but we still have problems in the tight corners and we really need to find a solution for that. I think we still have the possibility to work on the bike and I will also try to find a better riding line. But it could be difficult tomorrow morning as it always is colder in the mornings here and this won?t help to find the right set-up for the race if the temperature rises again in the afternoon. We will do our best to find the best solution for that.?
Pole position : 1m33.408s (161.292Km/h) Valentino Rossi, Yamaha
Circuit record lap : 1m34.215s (159.910Km/h) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha, 2008)
Circuit Best Lap : 1m32.647s (162.617 Km/h) Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 2008)
Qualifying position
1 Valentino Rossi 1m33.408s ITA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo +0.054s SPA YAMAHA Fiat Yamaha Team
3 Dani Pedrosa +0.165s SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Casey Stoner +0.416s AUS DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
5 Nicky Hayden +0.437s USA DUCATI Ducati Marlboro Team
6 Randy De Puniet +0.666s FRA HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Andrea Dovizioso +0.796s ITA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
8 Colin Edwards +0.896s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
9 Loris Capirossi +0.898s ITA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10 Aleix Espargaro +1.106s SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
11 Marco Melandri +1.115s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
12 Ben Spies +1.512s USA YAMAHA Tech 3 Yamaha
13 Marco Simoncelli +1.534s ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
14 Hiroshi Aoyama +1.571s JPN HONDA Interwetten Honda MotoGP
15 Hector Barbera +1.915s SPA DUCATI Aspar Ducati
16 Mika Kallio +2.402s FIN DUCATI Pramac Racing
17 Alvaro Bautista -- SPA SUZUKI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

 

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CONTRASTING FORTUNES FOR DUCATI MARLBORO PAIR AT LE MANS

Nicky Hayden produced another valiant challenge for a podium position in the Grand Prix de France at Le Mans this afternoon, finishing fourth in a race that saw his Ducati Marlboro team-mate Casey Stoner suffer the misfortune of a crash while trying to close the gap to the front three.

It was an early and disappointing end to a tough weekend for the Australian, who lost the front end of his Desmosedici on the third lap. However, there was still plenty of excitement for the Ducatisti amongst a 82,000 crowd to enjoy as Hayden took the fight to the frontrunners, passing Dani Pedrosa to take fourth place on the final lap, crossing the line just 1.5 seconds behind Andrea Dovizioso in third. The race was won by Jorge Lorenzo ahead of Valentino Rossi.

NICKY HAYDEN ? (Ducati Marlboro Team) 4th
?I?m about as happy with fourth as you could wish to be because I?ve struggled this weekend and once the race got started I went backwards pretty quickly. I just dug in and started going a little faster. I was pushing so hard to try and get those guys and finish on the podium but I couldn?t get close enough. As we say in America ?close only counts in horseshoes and washers? but I know I couldn?t have ridden any harder today and the team did a great job, so my heartfelt thanks go to them. Fourth place is okay here but it won?t be good enough at Mugello so we have more work to do there. I feel sorry for Casey today and his side of the garage because I see how hard they work, he is an unbelievably fast rider and he?ll be feeling disappointed right now, but you can be sure he will bounce back, he is very strong. It?s a long season so hopefully we can both have something to smile about next time.?

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) DNF
"I?m really disappointed because the bike has felt great all weekend, I?ve been pushing the front wherever I wanted but for some reason when the race has come around it felt like it was going to fold. It?s something we have to get to the bottom of and we need to do it soon because it is not good to start the season with only one finish from three races. I haven?t changed anything with my riding style but if I need to do something then we have to work out what and I can do it. Maybe it?s because when I?m behind slower riders in the race I?m not able to put the same pressure on the front. I?m not sure at the moment, to be honest, so we need to sit down and work out what?s best for the next race.?

Vittoriano Guareschi, Team Manager
"I'm really disappointed for Casey and for the team because this is obviously a big letdown for all of us. Today we had the possibility of having a good race, as we saw with Nicky, but it didn't turn out that way for Casey, who crashed when he was trying to make up ground on the top three. He lost the front and now we're all working together to try and work out why. I know that Casey will bounce back in the next race, ready to give it all as always and we'll be working hard to allow him to show his huge talent. Nicky was great again today and that kind of result is not a surprise anymore. He had a few problems in practice but he showed great character in the race to score the best result of his career at this track."

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2008), 1?34.215 - 159.910 Km/h
Best Pole: Dani Pedrosa (Honda - 2008), 1?32.647 - 162.617 Km/h

 

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Rizla Suzuki leaves Le Mans empty handed

Rizla Suzuki ended the French Grand Prix with nothing to show for its hard work after Loris Capirossi crashed out of today?s race, adding to the disappointment of ?lvaro Bautista?s withdrawal yesterday.

Capirossi started from ninth on the grid and made a steady start to the race, before finding his rhythm and starting to track down the group in front of him. He passed Colin Edwards on lap six and began to open a gap on the American, before disaster struck on the next lap and Capirossi crashed in turn three. He was able to re-mount his Suzuki GSV-R, but was unable to get the motor running again and was forced to retire. Capirossi was at odds to explain what caused the crash ? similar to the one last time out in Jerez ? and was very disappointed after such a positive weekend?s work to leave Le Mans pointless.

Capirossi was the only Rizla Suzuki racer today following Bautista?s early departure yesterday after a crash in free practice which aggravated his injured shoulder and caused him to return to Spain for further treatment, as well as rest and recuperation.

Today?s race was watched by 82,270 fans at trackside, who all baked in glorious French sunshine as temperatures rose above 30?C. Jorge Lorenzo took a comprehensive victory to strengthen his lead at the top of the World Championship.

Rizla Suzuki will now travel to Mugello in Italy for round four of the MotoGP World Championship on Sunday 6th June, with the team looking to bounce back from this weekend.

Loris Capirossi:

?It has again been an unlucky end to a weekend for us! It was the best we had felt at a Grand Prix this year and we had worked very hard in practice to fix everything and we made some good, positive steps. In the race I started steadily because the grip was not too good. After a couple of laps I felt a bit better and increased my rhythm and got past Colin, but in turn three I crashed. I leaned in and just lost the front, I don?t know why it happened and this is the third time I?ve crashed on the front and we will have to discover what?s causing it. During the weekend the feeling has been good and in warm-up I didn?t have any problems, but then in the race we struggled and I crashed. I am so sorry for the whole team because they all worked so hard. I am really, really upset because I feel in such good condition and we need to be getting some good results, this is no way to end the weekend, but we now must go to Mugello and try to make sure it doesn?t happen again.?

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France Race Classification:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 44?29.114: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +5.672: 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +7.872: 4. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +9.346: 5. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +12.613: Not Classified. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP):

World Championship Classification:

1. Lorenzo 70: 2. Rossi 61: 3. Dovizioso 42: 4. Pedrosa 40: 5. Hayden 39: 16. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 7: 17. ?LVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 6:

 

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FIRST MOTOGP TOP TEN FOR ALEIX ESPARGARO' CONCLUDING WITH THE NINTH POSITION. COURAGEOUS RACE FOR THE INJURIED MIKA KALLIO THAT CONCLUDES WITH THE THIRTEENTH POSITION

After yesterday's positive qualifying, it was expected a great and fighting race for the young Catalan rider Aleix Espargar? and so it was. From his teammate, Mika Kallio, it couldn't instead expect a better result after the very strong pains of the Finn left shoulder that was caused by the slip during second practice session of the Grand Prix. Mika has still completed the race finishing in thirteenth place collecting three important points for the world ranking. Very positive race for Aleix Espargar? who has made a great comeback, finishing the race in ninth position. In particular, after not the best start that saw him lose two positions after the first lap, and after he has passed on twelfth position the twenty-second lap finish line, he covered the gap with the other riders ahead of him. During the last few laps he first passed Aoyama and in the penultimate lap he has taken advantage of an error made by Edwards and finally taking over Simoncelli and positioned himself behind Barber?. Unfortunately a contact with Aoyama in the third last corner, did not allow him to fight with the Spanish for the eighth position. Anyway good feelings for the next Grand Prix in Mugello in two weeks.


Fabiano Sterlacchini - Pramac Racing Technical Director

"We bring home another ten World Championship points, they are not so many, but we are happy to have concluded with both riders a race that could be compromised at the beginning by Mika fall in the second free practice of the French Grand Prix. We are very proud of him because despite the sharp pain in his shoulder he wanted to take part in the today's race that concluded in thirteenth position, achieving three World Championship points. We could not expect more from him, but we are extremely happy to have a so brave rider. We hope to come back in shape for the next race in Mugello, we know we have an enormous value rider, and we hope that after this unfortunate race, luck will be back on his side. I should make my warmest congratulations to Aleix Espargar? for leading a great weekend, the ninth position supports the confidence we have always placed in him, supported him in this difficult start of the season. He proved to have character struggling to gain positions after he lost some in the start. Overall a good result that gives us strength and good mood for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix. "

Aleix Espargaro - Pramac Racing rider - 9th in the race - 15th in the MotoGP World Championship

"I am very happy with the outcome of the race, is by far my best result in MotoGP, and is the first time I finished the race in the top ten. I've had since Friday a great rhythm on this track, and I'm looking forward to race again to try to get better results. Too bad for the bad start, I lost two positions during the first lap, I could not be fast enough and I found myself second-last during the eight lap. But then I got to find my rhythm, turning a few tenths faster than the riders in front of me. I managed to cover the gap I had with the riders who preceded me and I found myself in the group that was fighting for eighth place. After a few laps I passed Aoyama and on the second-last lap I have seen the error made by Edwards and passed him as well as Simoncelli. Too bad for the little contact I had with Aoyama three corners before the finish line, this has given advantage to Barber? and I could not pass him for very little. However I have great confidence for the next race and hope to improve further."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing rider - 13th in the race - 12th in the MotoGP World Championship

"The shoulder pain prevented me from being competitive, despite the painkillers they gave me an hour before the race. I felt an enormous pain that did not allow me to lead better my bike. I constantly had a second lower turning lap time compared to the other riders. From the pits my technicians have indicated me that some riders were retired and I clenched my teeth to finish the race and bring other points to my team for the season. I hope to not have any more shoulder problems for the next race and that it will be a good weekend from beginning to the end."

 

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Lorenzo extends French rule with imposing Le Mans victory

Jorge Lorenzo stormed clear of Valentino Rossi to take his second win in a row in Le Mans this afternoon, making it three victories from three races for the Fiat Yamaha Team this year. Rossi overcame a few problems with both his bike and his shoulder to finish second, with Spaniard Andrea Dovizioso third.

Rossi started from pole and got a brilliant start to lead out of the first turn, in front of some 80,000 fans delighting in the balmy weather. Lorenzo has suffered lately when starting but recent work in testing paid off as the 23-year-old slipped just one place to third, before passing Pedrosa back soon after to retake second. The Italian and the two Spaniards soon stretched out a gap from the chasing pack and Lorenzo started to look menacing on his team-mate's rear wheel, trying to pass a few times but failing as Rossi braked deeper and deeper.

It was not until lap twelve that the 23-year-old got by his team-mate and he quickly began to pull away, as the World Champion struggled to find enough grip on acceleration to stay with Lorenzo. The young Mallorcan eventually crossed the line 5.672 seconds ahead to take his first back-to-back wins in MotoGP and stand on top of the Le Mans podium for the second year running.

Lorenzo extends his championship lead to nine points from Rossi, whilst the Fiat Yamaha lead the Team standings and Yamaha the Constructors'. The next round comes at Rossi's home fortress of Mugello, in two week's time.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st Time: 44'29.114
"I am so happy to win for the second race in a row, it's the first time for me in MotoGP and it makes me feel very confident in myself. Finally I did a good start, which I'm really happy about, then I easily got past Pedrosa. Passing Valentino wasn't so easy because he was braking so deep and I had to be very patient, something that I might not have managed one year ago! Finally I overtook him but I didn't expect to be able to go away in that way, my bike and Bridgestone tyres just felt so good and it wasn't difficult for me to keep this pace up. I have had a good time in Le Mans since I joined Yamaha; one second and two victories, so I think I can say I enjoy racing here in France! It is fantastic to be leading the championship but there is a long way to go and now we go to Mugello, a track that I love but where my rivals are very strong. Thank you to my team and everyone at Yamaha for this great weekend."


Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: +5.672
"I got a very good start but I knew from the beginning that we lacked some pace compared to Lorenzo and we had some unexpected problems in the race, mainly to do with grip on exit and acceleration from the corners. I expected to be faster but it wasn't the case today. I tried to stay in front of Lorenzo but it wasn't possible and I couldn't go with him once he was past, congratulations to him because he was very strong today! I can't blame my shoulder, I had expected it to be a bigger problem but in fact it was okay until six or seven laps from the end and by then the race was over for me. I knew it was important to finish and take the 20 points, it's a long championship and we are only nine points behind. Now I am looking forward to being back on top form for Mugello, my home race."

Wilco Zeelenberg - Team Manager
"A fantastic race and result, Jorge did very well to wait like this behind Valentino and then once he passed to go away in such a way, it was brave and showed how strong he was. He was very fast all weekend but as usual our tactics were to be on the podium, so this is a great bonus. I thought, coming here, that the pressure from leading the championship might worry him but this wasn't the case at all, he just kept his head down and this win is a fantastic reward for such good work."

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
"Valentino started very well once again in this race but then when Lorenzo arrived it was difficult to stay in front, his pace was faster today. Valentino's bike was sliding a little bit too much and he lost some contact when Lorenzo was leading, and by then it was sensible to go for second. There's only nine points between them and we are here and in touch in this exciting championship."


Difficult home race for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team was unable to show its true potential in front of a large home crowd at the iconic Le Mans circuit in France today.

In gloriously sunny conditions that saw air temperatures hit 32 degrees, Colin Edwards was engaged in an exciting mid-pack fight that included team-mate Ben Spies, Loris Capirossi and rookies Marco Simoncelli and Hector Barbera.

Despite not feeling 100 per cent comfortable with the race set-up of his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine, Edwards rode with dogged determination to hold a place in the top ten until lap 23.

Edwards continued to give his maximum effort but was unable to prevent dropping to 12th by the end, the American continuing his 100 per cent points-scoring record in 2010.

Today's 28-lap race ended in disappointment for 25-year-old Spies. The reigning World Superbike was hampered by the damaged left foot he suffered in a big high-side crash during yesterday's final practice session.

Spies quickly made up two places in the early stages but as his confidence grew and he stared to mount a surge towards the group battling for the top six, he suffered an unlucky crash out of 11th place on lap seven at the third corner.

After a tough home race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is now looking forward to better fortunes when the 2010 campaign resumes in Mugello on June 6.


Colin Edwards - Position: 12th Time: +37.123
?I know this bike inside out and I've had some of the best races of my career at Le Mans, but right now I just can't seem to fix some of the problems I'm having. I can only go fast if I'm able to ride comfortable and smooth and at the moment I can't do that because I don't have the confidence. I'm working really hard with my guys at Tech 3 but we don't seem to be able to get on top of the problem at the moment. I spent a lot of the race behind Simoncelli and he was able to brake deeper than me. As soon as I'd brake and lean the bike over, I started to have a problem and right now I'm struggling to find an answer. It is annoying because I came here expecting a much better result but we'll regroup and try and be much stronger at Mugello.?


Ben Spies - DNF
?It was a tough weekend and I made it tough for myself. Yesterday morning was my fault with the crash and missing a sessi on didn't help. I need as much track time as I can get so to miss a whole hour isn't good. I got a good start and after the first two laps I got into a decent rhythm. Capirossi and Colin started to come back to me a little bit and I was feeling quite confident. But I looked up and saw Capirossi lose the front at the third corner and as soon as I tipped in I lost the front too and I was down. It was a weird crash but luckily I didn't pick up any further injury. Now I can take this week off and rest and go to Mugello to push at 100 per cent. It has been a rough last couple of races but I'm still confident I can be closer to the front when things are right and be doing a lot better.?

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
?It is a strong word but this has been a disaster for us because we were expecting a lot. After Friday when we saw Ben learn the track even quicker than he did in Jerez we were very positive about his prospects and we know that Le Mans is one of Colin's best tracks. It is obvious that Ben was struggling a little bit with his foot and unfortunately he crashed in the race and I am sorry for him because he was determined to try and get in the top ten. Colin got a decent and he just never looked like the rider at this track that we know he can be. We'll analyse a lot of data to understand why we struggled and be as determined as ever to be back where we belong in Mugello. I'd like to congratulate Yamaha because once again they did a fantastic job and now we must improve to show our true potential with what is obviously an incredibly competitive YZR-M1 machine.?