Le Mans MotoGP: Casey Stoner tops crash strewn final practice

Australian Casey Stoner has topped the timesheets at the end of a crash-strewn final practice session in Le Mans this morning.

Second quickest in yesterday’s opening session, the factory Ducati rider logged a fastest lap of 1.34.209 on his 22nd lap to deny current world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo by just 0.015s.

The 2007 world champion’s time was marginally quicker than Fiat Yamaha rival Valentino Rossi’s best time set yesterday of 1.34.402. 

Lorenzo was second with a best time of 1.34.224 that put him 0.227s clear of team-mate and title rival Valentino Rossi.

Rossi was in impressive form to top the leaderboard yesterday but he had to settle for third with a best time of 1.34.451.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa completed the top four with a lap of 1.34.497.

The session though was a crash strewn affair with Ben Spies, Alvaro Bautista and Mika Kallio all crashing out on their third lap.

Finnish rider Kallio walked away unhurt from his tumble on the Pramac Ducati, but Spies was less fortunate.

The American had just logged a time of 1.42.712 on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 when he was high-sided going into the Dunlop chicane shortly after the super-fast first corner.

Although appearing fine in the immediate aftermath, Spies grabbed his left ankle and had to be taken by stretcher to a trackside ambulance before he was taken to the circuit’s medical centre for further treatment. Early reports suggested that the reigning World Superbike champion had suffered a suspected broken fifth metatarsal.
Just seconds before Spies crashed, Spanish rookie Alvaro Bautista suffered a sickening high-side at the Musee left-hander.

Riding just over a week after needing a plate and six screws inserted in a broken left shoulder caused by a motocross accident, Bautista had struggled to make any impact in the opening session.

And disaster struck today when he landed heavily on the left shoulder after the huge high-side off his factory Suzuki GSV-R.

Bautista walked away from the spill but didn’t take any further part in the session and his participation in tomorrow’s 28-lap race must be in serious doubt.

Italian rider Marco Simoncelli also suffered a small crash at the Garage Vert right-hander when he lost the front after running onto the kerb.