Australian GP. Second practice

Another pole for Valentino Rossi and Toni Elias in Australia
Fonsi Nieto fifth in the 250cc and Héctor Barberá sixth in the 125cc
Valentino Rossi already said that this is a circuit he likes a lot and that his desire to win has not become less after clinching the world title. And that is exactly what he is showing at the Australian track on Phillip Island. He already set the fastest time yesterday and he has been the fastest again today, despite the strong efforts of Bayliss and Capirossi on their Ducatis. Further in the back, his teammate Nicky Hayden managed to set the fifth fastest time despite trying hard to get a place on the front row, but his constant progression and his rhythm for the race allow him to dream about a new podium finish in the premier class.In the 250cc, Toni Elias suffered a heavy crash in the morning that could have ruined his hopes for the title. Fortunately everything ended-up with a fright. The Repsol rider was hindered by a slower lapping rider, crashed and hit against the protections. Already recovered from the accident, Elias started the afternoon’s timed practice ready to clock the fastest time of the class again, and managed to set his fifth consecutive pole of the season. His teammate Fonsi Nieto, hindered in his two last fast laps by other riders, had to settle for the fifth fastest time and a place on the second row of the starting grid. Sebastián Porto was not able to keep the fastest clock but only lost one place, finishing second of the timed practice. Héctor Faubel finished sixteenth and Joan Olivé twentieth.In the 125cc, Pablo Nieto finally managed to solve the setting problems that had been following him during the last races and he is now ready to face the race tomorrow with a lot more optimism. Eleventh fastest in the second qualifying practice, the winner of the Portuguese Grand Prix will be starting tomorrow from the fourth row of the grid after setting the thirteenth fastest overall qualifying time. His teammate Héctor Barberá, seventeenth fastest today, has the sixth fastest overall qualifying time thanks to the time he set yesterday. The Repsol rider was not able to improve his times today due to some technical problems.And whilst in Phillip Island the World Championship riders are preparing their tactics for tomorrow, in Melbourne Dani Pedrosa has begun with his recovery after yesterday’s operation. The Repsol rider underwent surgery yesterday afternoon at the Alfred Hospital due to the injuries suffered in his crash during the first free practice. The operation, carried out by one of the best traumatology teams of Victoria, lead by Doctor Edwood, lasted a bit over four hours. During the operation Dani Pedrosa’s fracture of the internal malleolus of the right foot and both other fractures, one in the shinbone and another in the astragalus of the left foot, were reduced. Doctor Edwood explained that it had been a successful operation and that the rider had been taken afterwards to the intensive care unit where he recovered from the operation. He is now resting in his hospital room, eager to prepare his recovery as soon as possible. Pedrosa will now have to spend some days at the Australian hospital before being able to fly back to Spain. The doctors of the Clinical Mobile, who usually take care of the riders, have estimated that it will take Dani about three to four months until he is completely recovered in order to get back on a motorbike.