Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez has staked his claim for another podium finish in Sunday's Le Mans MotoGP race, setting the second quickest time in free practice two, just a tenth slower than leader and team-mate Dani Pedrosa.
The Spaniard charged into runner-up spot with his final lap of 1'34.169 which pushed Yamaha's Valentino Rossi into third place. The Doctor's last run of laps saw him slip into second with a 1'34.173 but Marquez was just four one-thousandths faster in a session which saw the top ten covered one second.
Reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo was 0.028s behind his team-mate in fourth place. The Spaniard is using the updated 2013 chassis while Rossi has stayed with the 2012 version so far.
A vastly-improved Stefan Bradl making a nuisance of himself on the works LCR Honda in the top five all session and staying there until the chequered flag with a 1'34.299 while Cal Crutchlow, who ran off track early on, was sixth on a 1'34.512.
Andrea Dovizioso swapped places with Nicky Hayden and was top Ducati in seventh on a 1'34.578 with the American 0.012s slower. Alvaro Bautista sits in ninth with leading CRT man Aleix Espargro putting the Aspar Aprilia in tenth place.
If it is wet, and it looks very likely, for free practice three that top ten will go through to qualifying two and Bradley Smith and Andrea Iannone, who crashed this afternoon, will find themselves in qualifying one and having to try and get into the last session as they finished in 11th and 12th.
Frenchman Randy De Puniet was 13th fastest and second CRT with Hector Barbera third. Colin Edwards placed 16th while Michael Laverty reduced his gap to the leaders to four seconds.