Marco Melandri was quickest in an eventful free practice session at Le Mans, taking his Honda Gresini around the French circuit in 1:35.319. Fellow Honda men Dani Pedrosa and Carlos Checa were second and third, while world champion Nicky Hayden survived an early spill.
Dank, overcast conditions made for a slippery track surface and many riders came unstuck while searching for grip.
Nicky Hayden lost his front end and slid into the gravel just minutes into the session. Both he and the bike were fine, although he went wide onto the gravel again and was just 17th fastest.
Title rival Valentino Rossi suffered similar problems, including an embarrassing excursion onto the run-off area. The Italian finished the session 11th.
Shinya Nakano and Casey Stoner also went off. The Australian, recently so dominant on his Ducati, continued to struggle and was sixth quickest.
A smattering of precipitation late on effectively called an early halt to proceedings, but the weekend promises good things for Honda, who have endured a dismal 2007 so far.
EuroSport
Subject: Melandri sets Le Mans pace 
Sat May 19, 2007 9:57 pm