Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner has gone back to the top of the MotoGP timesheet at Misano this morning, setting the fastest time but the Australian was chased hard by team-mate Dani Pedrosa who was within a tenth of a second.
Stoner went round in 1'33.567 on only his fourth lap of the session and it took Pedrosa until the clock ticked down to put in his 1'33.666. Yesterday afternoon's fastest man Jorge Lorenzo was demoted to third by Pedrosa's lap and he is three-tenths behind with a 1'34.318 set on lap eight of 22.
Valentino Rossi, meanwhile, is still struggling and can't break into the top ten. He could only managed 12th place and things can only get worse for the Marlboro Ducati man because the track temperature will rise this afternoon - something his GP11.1 doesn't like.
Ben Spies, on the second Factory M1, hung on to fifth place fending off a late charge by countryman Colin Edwards who is only 0.036s slower on his satellite Monster Yamaha. The elder Texan lapped in 1'34.321 which put him a tenth ahead of Andrea Dovizioso on the final Repsol bike.
Marco Simoncelli, who hates this track even though he can see it from his bedroom window, is seventh and just over a second off the pace with former 250GP rival Hector Barbera behind him. The Spaniard is once again the leading Ducati rider…
Britain's Cal Crutchlow is finding more pace as the sessions count down, ending this morning in ninth place and one ahead of Nicky Hayden who rounds out the top ten. Alvaro Bautista has gone backwards since yesterday finishing in 11th just ahead of Rossi. To no-one's surprise, Karel Abraham fell off his Pacemaker Ducati. Again.
