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Post by BADGER on May 17, 2008 16:31:18 GMT
Full qualifying times from the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, round five of the 2008 MotoGP season.
1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 32.647 secs 2. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 32.774 secs 3. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 32.994 secs 4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 33.157 secs 5. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 33.269 secs 6. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 33.286 secs 7. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 33.396 secs 8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.440 secs 9. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 33.628 secs 10. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 33.689 secs 11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.707 secs 12. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 33.723 secs 13. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 34.077 secs 14. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 34.561 secs 15. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 34.670 secs 16. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 34.747 secs 17. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 35.081 secs 18. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 35.349 secs
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Post by BADGER on May 17, 2008 16:38:23 GMT
Injured Lorenzo falls, but fights on. Not what you need when you already have two fractured ankles... Having fractured both ankles at Shanghai on May 2, Jorge Lorenzo is taking a considerable risk by competing in this weekend's French Grand Prix - a risk he is prepared to take to keep his title chances alive. But the 21-year-old - who took three poles, three podiums and one win from his first three MotoGP starts - has already fallen twice at Le Mans, first on Friday afternoon and then this more serious accident on Saturday morning. Although struggling to walk due to his previous injuries, Lorenzo fortunately seems to have suffered no further damage in the incidents and - despite another near miss in qualifying, when he ran straight on at the high-speed first turn - will line-up in a fighting fifth position for Sunday's race. "This is a very difficult time and I have a lot of pain in all of my body, but I want to keep going and I think fifth place is a very good position for me today," said Jorge. "Of course I know it's a risk for me, but this sport always has some danger and I don't think about this. "Today was hard and my crash this morning didn't help, but I didn't make anything worse and I was able to ride this afternoon and to try hard with my qualifying tyres. We need to improve the bike more for this track, especially the electronics and the chassis, but I know that we can be better tomorrow and I am sure that my physical condition will be better as well. "Neither our bike nor my mental or physical condition is perfect here and my rhythm is not as good as at the other races, but of course I still want to try to be in front and this is why I have made some mistakes today. "It's not the end of the world however, I've been in worse situations in the past and I won't panic. Tomorrow is another day and, although today I was lacking some confidence, I know I will feel better in myself tomorrow and that I will be able to try to take some points," he concluded. Lorenzo is currently just seven points behind MotoGP World Championship leader Dani Pedrosa, who will start the French Grand Prix from pole position. "After two crashes this weekend in Jorge's condition, the second row is very good and this will hopefully help him to get a good start tomorrow," said team manager Daniele Romagnoli. "Jorge was lucky not to escape further injury but he is very determined and he is not losing focus."
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