Stoner leads Sachsenring warm-up

MotoGP World Championship leader Casey Stoner set the pace during Sunday morning's warm-up session for the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

Stoner, who will start this afternoon's race from pole position, finished the session 0.177sec ahead of reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) with Stoner's Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa 0.280sec from the top in third.

Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo will form this afternoon's front row.

Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista was a surprise fourth fastest, despite a big crash in the closing stages, with Marco Simoncelli (Gresini) and Ben Spies (Yamaha) completing the top six.

Third Repsol rider Andrea Dovizioso was the first rider over half a second behind Stoner this morning, with Nicky Hayden continuing his top Ducati form with eighth place.

Top satellite bike rider Colin Edwards (Tech 3) and Pramac Ducati's Randy de Puniet completed the top ten.

Seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi, who will be starting his 250th grand prix from just 16th on the grid, was eleventh fastest, 1.128sec from Stoner.

Warm-up:

1. Stoner
2. Lorenzo
3. Pedrosa
4. Bautista
5. Simoncelli
6. Spies
7. Dovizioso
8. Hayden
9. Edwards
10. de Puniet
11. Rossi
12. Aoyama
13. Crutchlow
14. Barbera
15. Elias
16. Abraham
17. Guintoli