MotoGP Takes Stage At Czech Republic Grand Prix

Friday saw the preliminary rounds of the Czech Republic Grand Prix
get underway, albeit with a somewhat depleted field.
The motorsports event will
be without two of MotoGP's top riders. Honda's Casey Stoner
and Ducati's Nicky Hayden,
are both missing the event due to injuries. Stoner faces impending
surgery on his ankle, while Hayden is still rehabbing his right
hand. With the start of the Brno race so close to the end of the
Indianapolis Grand Prix, the turnaround time for healing riders was
too small for these two to recover.
Hayden's absence means that only Valentino
Rossi will be riding for Ducati. He finished seventh in the
free practice, but expects to improve as the event goes on.
"The next two weeks will be very important for the rest of the
season," Rossi said. "I expect to do better in the Czech Republic,
as it's a track that I like and that is more 'normal.'"
Dani Pedrosa
took the top time in Friday's free practice, with Jorge
Lorenzo, Andrea
Dovizioso, and Cal
Crutchlow just behind him. In the coming days, there will be
more free sessions, with qualifying rounds starting on Saturday.