Several Bridgestone-shod riders showed strong practice pace on the opening day of this weekend’s Catalunya Grand Prix with six of the top seven riders at the end of the second practice session using Bridgestone tyres. Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi was the closest man to Dani Pedrosa’s pace-setting lap, but the smallest of margins separated the top four with Capirossi 0.006s adrift, Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi a further 0.067s back and Ducati’s Casey Stoner in fourth, a mere 0.009s from Rossi. Honda Gresini’s Alex de Angelis, who finished an outstanding fourth in Mugello just one week ago, continued his strong form, claiming the fifth fastest time of the day ahead of Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen in sixth and his Gresini team-mate Shinya Nakano in seventh.
Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi was the highest placed Bridgestone-shod rider in today’s free practice sessions at the Estoril Circuit. Rossi finished the day in second place just 0.040s from lead rider Dani Pedrosa, as unsettled weather conditions interrupted initial preparations for Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix. Three further Bridgestone riders frequented the top ten in this afternoon’s classification with Ducati’s Casey Stoner in seventh, Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano in eighth and Kawasaki’s John Hopkins in tenth position.