After three successive 'flyaway' races, the European
MotoGP season really kicks off with the Alice Grand Prix of France at Le Mans on Sunday. The anticipation is enormous with the opening four rounds producing four separate winners and some superb racing.
American
Nicky Hayden arrives in Europe without a grand prix victory this season but a 13-point lead in the Championship after four podium finishes riding the Repsol Honda. The former AMA Superbike champion is chasing his ninth successive podium finish and his second-ever grand prix victory to at least consolidate, or even increase, that championship lead.
His team-mate, 20-year old Spaniard
Dani Pedrosa, arrives in Le Mans brimming with confidence following his first MotoGP victory at the previous round in China on only his fourth MotoGP appearance. The former 125 and double 250cc world champion moved into third place in the championship, just two points behind second-placed Italian veteran
Loris Capirossi. Pedrosa has a great record at Le Mans with three successive victories at the track in 125 and 250cc races.
Capirossi started the season brilliantly, winning the opening round in
Jerez and finishing second in Qatar, but non-podium finishes in Turkey and China lost him the championship lead. Marlboro Ducati team-mate Sete Gibernau has struggled through a host of problems and is currently tenth, but he won the MotoGP race for Honda at Le Mans in 2003 and 2004.
Another former 250cc world champion,
Marco Melandri won the race in Turkey on the Fortuna Honda, but struggled in China and slipped to fourth place, three points behind Pedrosa and three in front of 20-year old Australian
Casey Stoner who, like Pedrosa, has been a sensation in his first MotoGP season. Riding the LCR Honda, he was pipped to victory by Melandri in Turkey and fought back after two practice crashes and an off-track excursion to finish fifth in China.
