Friday, 11th April 2008

Jerez winner and MotoGP World Championship leader Dani Pedrosa emerged on top of an unpredictable opening day at Estoril, venue for this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix.

San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Shinya Nakano, LCR Honda's Randy de Puniet and Kawasaki's John Hopkins completed the top ten. The Rizla Suzukis of Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen were then line astern in eleventh and twelfth, while Toseland took 13th position (1.5secs from Pedrosa) at a track where there has been no pre-season testing.

Having spent much of the session 18th and last, Stoner's struggling team-mate Marco Melandri eventually rose to 15th place at the flag, while satellite Ducati rider Toni Elias suffered a huge engine failure along the main straight - the detonation hurting his right leg in the process.


Friday practice:

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1. Pedrosa
2. Rossi
3. Edwards
4. Hayden
5. Lorenzo
6. Dovizioso
7. Stoner
8. Nakano
9. de Puniet
10. Hopkins
11. Capirossi
12. Vermeulen
13. Toseland
14. de Angelis
15. Melandri
16. West
17. Guintoli
18. Elias

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