Rossi tops first practice

Valentino Rossi has already asserted his dominance at the Spanish GP, setting the fastest lap in first practice on Friday morning.

On a dry but cool Jerez circuit Yamaha rider Rossi started the weekend’s action by setting a best time of 1:42.403, 0.662 seconds ahead of closest rival Nicky Hayden, on a factory Honda.

Max Biaggi took the third fastest time on the Camel Honda just .01 of a second slower than Hayden, with former World Superbike champion Colin Edwards taking his Telefonica Movistar Honda to the fourth fastest time of 1:43.195.

The two Suzukis of Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins secured the fifth and sixth fastest while the Hondas of Sete Gibernau and Alex Barros took seventh and eighth.

MotoGP rookies Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus managed a respectable 11th and 12th on their D’Antin Ducati Desmosedicis ahead of the factory backed Ducatis of Troy Baylis and Loris Capirossi.

Times:

Valentino Rossi 1:42.403, Nicky Hayden 1:43.065, Max Biaggi 1:43.075, Colin Edwards 1:43.195, Kenny Roberts 1:43.291, John Hopkins 1:43.338, Carlos Checa 1:43.359, Sete Gibernau 1:43.391, Alex Barros 1:43.746, Makoto Tamada 1:43.754, Neil Hodgson 1:44.025, Ruben Xaus 1:44.049, Troy Bayliss 1:44.055, Loris Capirossi 1:44.136, Marco Melandri 1:44.351, Shinya Nakano 1:44.413, Alex Hofmann 1:44.437, Norick Abe 1:45.225, Shane Byrne 1:45.671, Nobuatsu Aoki 1:45.791, Jeremy McWilliams 1:46.695, Kurtis Roberts 1:47.549, Michel Fabrizio 1:49.637, Chris Burns 1:55.420.