Preparations for 2009 begin in Valencia

Added on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

MotoGP riders got to grips with their new bikes for the first time yesterday as preparations for 2009 got underway in Valencia.

No less than nine riders were experiencing bikes for the first time in Valencia yesterday, with Nicky Hayden, Marco Melandri, Andrea Dovizioso and Toni Elias all completing moves to new teams yesterday.

Amongst the riders in the paddock was Sete Gibernau, returning from retirement at the age of 35 with the new Onde 2000 Ducati team, along with 250cc graduates Mika Kallio, Yuki Takahashi, and former Alice Ducati test rider Niccolo Canepa.

For other riders, it was a first experience of Bridgestone rubber, as Honda, Yamaha and JiR Scott all completely migrated from Michelin to the Japanese rubber. Tech 3, who will also switch from Michelin, were absent from the session and will hold off any 2009 preparations until Jerez in November.

But the time charts still had a familiar look after day one, with Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi occupying the top three positions.

Stoner’s fastest time of 1:32.464 was more than two-tenths of a second faster that Pedrosa whilst Valentino Rossi just scrapped under the 1:33 mark with a time of 1:32.921.

Rizla Suzuki took particular heart from the day’s session, posting the fourth and fifth best times of the day.

MotoGP Test Valencia: Day One Official Times

1. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro Team – 1:32.464
2. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda – 1:32.672
3. Valentino Rossi, Fiat Yamaha Team – 1:32.921
4. Chris Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – 1:33.142
5. Loris Capirossi, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – 1:33.325
6. Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini – 1:33.375
7. Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team – 1:33.550
8. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda – 1:33.676
9. John Hopkins, Kawasaki Racing Team – 1:33.760
10. Marco Melandri, Kawasaki Racing Team – 1:33.782
11. Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda MotoGP – 1:33.832
12. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team – 1:33.960
13. Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini – 1:34.129
14. Sete Gibernau, Onde 2000 Ducati – 1:34.451
15. Mika Kallio, Alice Team – 1:34.793
16. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki Racing Team – 1:34.925
17. Niccolo Canepa, Alice Team – 1:34.995
18. Yuki Takahashi, JiR Team Scot Honda – 1:35.203