Valencia MotoGP tests

Both Suzuki and Honda Pons had to cut short their test sessions at Valencia after rain kept them in the garage. But the weather cleared this week allowing the 250 and 125 bikes to take to the track

Honda riders Max Biaggi and Tohru Ukawa were at the circuit for two days but only managed to completed the first days testing. Biaggi clocked a best time of 1:33.9, a 10th of a second faster than Ukawa and only 0.7 seconds behind the circuit’s best lap, set by Biaggi last year.

But Biaggi was disappointed. He spent the first day ironing out problems with suspension on his RC211V and had planned to test a range of tyres on the second day, but the weather turned.

Team Suzuki were also hit by the rain but Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins had already completed two full days on the GSV-R. Team Manager Gary Taylor said ” We didn’t have anything new to test, just a fairly long list of items and settings that needed to be explored. We managed to get through most of them, and add huge amounts of data to what we have already collected on the new machine ”

Sebastián Porto put in the best time of any of the 250s, at 1.37.6, despite only riding his Honda RSW for the first time at the IRTA test in Jerez last month. Álex Debón and Roberto Rolfo took the second and third fastest times almost a second behind Porto.

British rider Chas Davies came in fourth on his Aprilia with a best time of 1.39.2.

Rolfo and Eric Bataille both suffered minor crashes but managed to walk away unhurt.

125cc Aprilia rider Casey Stoner topped his class with a time of 1:40.8, a tenth of a second faster than team-mate Lucio Cecchinello.

Derbi riders Emilio Alzamora and Jorge Lorenzo both crashed out with Alzamora receiving a blow to the back and Lorenzo hurting his foot.

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