MotoGP – Valencia FP1 – Checa's Ducati in front of everyone

The Ducati of Spanish rider Carlos Checa set the best time in the first free practice of the MotoGP class on the Valencia circuit, where the last race of the 2005 world championship will be held. The home rider lapped in 1'33"837 and preceded compatriot Sete Gibernau who will take his place astride the 4-wheeled Rossa next year by just 2 thousandths. Third time for the winner of Istanbul Marco Melandri, the man from Ravenna who will also be riding the Team Gresini Honda RC211V next year, put Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden's Team Repsol Honda behind him.

Sixth time for Loris Capirossi who returns to the track today after the terrible accident at Phillip Island, the Ducati rider precedes the Yamaha of Valentino Rossi and the Honda of the Roman Max Biaggi in his last race with the official Repsol Team bike.

Ninth time for Colin Edwards, behind him Makoto Tamada, John Hopkins, the Japanese Ryuichi Kiyonari who here replaces Troy Bayliss on the Team Pons Honda, Toni Elias, Alex Hofmann and Roberto Rolfo on the Ducati GP4 with Dunlop tyres.

Excellent performance by James Ellison who, riding the WCM, placed himself behind the Suzuki of the Japanese Aoki (who here replaces Kenny Roberts Jr), the Kawasaki of Shinya Nakano, the Proton of Kurtis Roberts, his teammate Franco Battaini and an unrecognizable Ruben Xaus, riding the Yamaha M1.