MELANDRI SETS THE PACE ON WET FIRST DAY AT MISANO
On a day of unprecedented rainfall that saw the afternoon
practice sessions cancelled by Race Direction, Honda Gresini
rider Marco Melandri topped the time sheets after setting
the pace in the morning. An incredible lap time of 1'46.948
left him a massive 1.68 seconds clear of nearest challenger
Valentino Rossi, with Casey Stoner third.
Melandri, returning to action after missing the race at Brno
with a neck problem, took things steadily as he recovered
his feeling with the bike on a wet and relatively unknown
circuit. However, he quickly found that he had a good feeling
bike and he was able to complete a total of 19 laps.
Toni Elias, who returned from his own injury nightmare at
Brno following a crash two months previously at Assen, decided
that it was too risky to ride in such difficult conditions
as he continues his recovery from a broken femur.
Weather forecasts are predicting improved conditions and
clear skies for tomorrow.
MARCO MELANDRI (1° 1' 46"948): "I'm
really happy - I didn't think I would be so comfortable on
the bike having not ridden it properly for almost two months
(since Laguna). Two days ago I was very worried because I
was in a bad way but thankfully this morning I felt better.
The wet conditions didn't put too much stress on my neck because
there isn't the hard braking that you have in the dry. I was
really desperate to get back on track and I enjoyed it. The
bike is working well and I found a good feeling straight away.
I know Misano track but with the changes they made and the
reverse direction it feels completely new. The fast part is
particularly difficult to understand but I think this is where
the rider can make the difference. Tomorrow could be tricky
because of the amount of dirt that the rain brought onto the
track."
TONI ELIAS: "It was a strange day because
of the rain. This morning I decided not to risk it in the
wet because it was too dangerous to crash. I've never seen
anything like the weather this afternoon - hopefully it will
be dry tomorrow so we can get out on track."
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