MotoGP – Valencia FP2 – Melandri ahead of the national heroes

Challenge Italy/Spain, in the last seasons of the MotoGP as never before. In our home, at Mugello, there was no history, but do you know how satisfying it is to win on "away", with the sometimes hostile public, with everything ready to crown an idol of the Iberian peninsula? Valentino Rossi knows this well, who dressed in white and red in Valencia wants to aim for a three-out-of-three in Spain: Jerez, Catalunya, only the Autodromo Ricardo Tormo is missing, for a success that would also mean a record for Doohan and a score in stratospheric ranking (376 points). For the moment, after the second free practice session, there is only a seventh fastest time, with a gap from the top of 576 thousandths; a lead held once again by one of ours, Marco Melandri, the rider of the moment, who will do everything in these days in Valencia to gain second place in the standings.

His time, 1'33"464, is slightly, but just enough, lower than the chronometric references of two national heroes (they are happy), destined to indirectly exchange bikes for next season: Carlos Checa (2nd, the fastest of the morning) and Sete Gibernau (3rd, expected for hours the official Ducati). "Hypothetical" front row enclosed in 59 thousandths, 11 drivers in 0"657, thanks to a kart track format, an artificial arena for great challenges and celebrations. In fourth position we find Nicky Hayden, with a great Loris Capirossi behind him, who has recovered perfectly from his injury at Phillip Island. Sixth, for what could be their last race, Alex Barros, then Rossi, Biaggi, Tamada and Edwards.

Nothing new under the sun, except the confirmed competitiveness of Ducati (podium in 2003 with Capirossi, last year with Bayliss), the usual "difficult" Friday in Yamaha and a Colin Edwards in deep crisis. The only surprise comes from Nobuatsu Aoki who takes the helm of Suzuki and is faster than Hopkins, the same goes for the licensor Hofmann ahead of Nakano, and for Ryuichi Kiyonari who returns to MotoGP with a very modest 17th time behind our Roberto Rolfo . Confetti from the Valencian show, nothing more…

The times of the second free practice session

01- Marco Melandri – Honda – 1'33.464
02- Carlos Checa – Ducati – + 0.042
03- Sete Gibernau – Honda – + 0.059
04- Nicky Hayden – Honda – +0.258
05- Loris Capirossi – Ducati – + 0.266
06- Alex Barros – Honda – +0.503
07- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha – +0.576
08- Max Biaggi – Honda – + 0.630
09- Makoto Tamada – Honda – + 0.639
10- Colin Edwards – Yamaha – +0.665
11- Toni Elias – Yamaha – + 0.697
12- Nobuatsu Aoki – Suzuki – + 1.048
13- John Hopkins – Suzuki – + 1.187
14- Alex Hofmann – Kawasaki – +1.314
15- Shinya Nakano – Kawasaki – +1.368
16- Roberto Rolfo – Ducati – + 2.007
17- Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – +2.115
18- James Ellison – WCM – +2.461
19- Ruben Xaus – Yamaha – + 2.593
20- Franco Battaini – WCM – + 2.724
21- Kurtis Roberts – KR – +3.343

Alessio Piana