The big news of the day remains Lorenzo's highside which, thankfully, doesn't seem to have hurt him as badly as
first feared. The left ankle is chipped but the right one is only swollen. He will try and ride tomorrow.

On track, first signs are that we are shaping up for a repeat of last year's Rossi versus Stoner battle. Valentino says it's the best Friday he's had this season - not surprising as he's gone fastest despite sliding too much and the Fiat Yamaha wanting to pull wheelies. Casey has regained confidence in the front of the Ducati under braking thanks to a harder front tire - construction I assume, this place stresses the center of the front tire more than any other track we go to. Despite the fact they still haven't got their pneumatic valve engines, the Hondas are looking good. Pedrosa is only just behind the top two, followed by Shinya Nakano who has regained some of his old form. He can't explain what the problems have been "even in Japanese!" The second San Carlo Honda rider, Alex de Angelis, also had his best session of the year in finishing seventh.

To the relief of Earl Hayden, Nicky had a trouble-free day in sixth just behind a fit again John Hopkins. He says
he's not quite 100% but the team reckon he's fine ...

Marco Melandri's woes continue. At least he managed to get some respectability back this afternoon after a disastrous first session but he is still 1.75sec slower than his team-mate and a second slower than a revitalised Toni Elias on the satellite Alice Ducati. The Italian press is openly suggesting that Alex Barros is being lined up as a replacement should things not improve rapidly.