Comunitat Valenciana GP. Second practice

Repsol riders majority on the front row in Cheste
Pole for Rossi in MotoGP with Hayden 4th. Elias 2nd in the 250c and Nieto 2nd in the 125cc
As already announced by the weather forecasts, the climate improved substantially today, with warmer temperatures, sun and very little wind, allowing for a general improvement of the lap times in the three classes. In the MotoGP class, Nicky Hayden continued very fast on the Valencian track. After setting the second fastest time yesterday, behind his team-mate Valentino Rossi, the North American Repsol Honda Team rider today clinched a place on the front row of the starting grid after setting the fourth fastest time of the practice. His team-mate Valentino Rossi, with a spectacular new design on his bike, the result of a contest organised by Repsol for the readers of the Spanish magazine Motociclismo, set the fastest time, as he did yesterday, thus taking another pole position, the ninth of this 2003 season. The most competitive riders in the fight for the top spot during the second qualifying practice were local rider Sete Gibernau, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi.In the 250cc, Toni Elias has proven today once again that he is the most competitive of the Repsol riders in this class. Third fastest time in the morning’s free practice, Jorge Martinez Aspar’s pupil took part in the afternoon’s battle for the lead with De Puniet, Guintoli and Poggiali. Toni Elias finally set the second fastest time behind Frenchman De Puniet. Fonsi Nieto, overcoming the problems he had been having with the settings, set the seventh fastest time, two places ahead of Sebastián Porto who finished ninth. Héctor Faubel, eleventh, managed to improve the times set yesterday in about one second, moving up one position with regard to the result of the first practice day. His team-mate Joan Olivé finished twenty-second.In the 125cc, both Pablo Nieto and Héctor Barberá finally managed to solve the technical problems and have made a good afternoon practice session. They spent the timed session swapping places, and taking the lead for some moments. Pablo Nieto finally finished second and Héctor Barberá fourth. Italian rider Alex de Angelis took the pole in this class.