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(from superbikeplanet.com)

Colin Edwards Wins Pole In China!
Yamaha rider bests Rossi, stoner
by staff
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Pos. Rider Team Bike Time
1 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:58.139
2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1:58.494
3 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1:58.591
4 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1:58.711
5 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:58.855
6 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1:58.941
7 James Toseland Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:59.254
8 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1:59.325
9 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1:59.357
10 Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:59.507
11 Andrea Dovizioso JiR Scot Team Honda 1:59.559
12 Marco Melandri Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1:59.716
13 Shinya Nakano San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1:59.716
14 John Hopkins Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1:59.740
15 Toni Elias Alice Team Ducati 1:59.933
16 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 2:00.316
17 Sylvain Guintoli Alice Team Ducati 2:00.760
18 Anthony West Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2:00.838


Colin Edwards won pole for the Chinese Grand Prix, taking his first pole
since 2006 and breaking Valentino Rossi's previous quick record.

Jorge Lorenzo, who had won the three previous poles this season, was fourth
fastest despite injuries from his vicious highside on Friday.

The other Americans in MotoGP did not fare as well as Edwards. Nicky Hayden
will lead the fourth row and John Hopkins was 14th quickest.

ENDS

 

Well I was hoping for a Stoner victory, but on that result my money is
Rossi.

JL

 

Errmm dunno - I think because Edwards got there with the super sticky
michelin qualifier which by itself doesn't mean much but Rossi is also
running bridgestones, so basically the Yams are obviously very quick at
this circuit (as they have been for the last 2 races) with Jorge in 4th
spot as well. So its not just rider skill the Yam itself is quick.

IOW Rossi on a faster bike with the same tyres - a big ask for Stoner to
beat him, particularly when he's going to be hungry for a win (what is
it - 1 win in the last dozen or more races ?).

I suspect Rossi, Stoner, Pedrosa (I can't see how Lorenzo is going to be
able to sustain the speed with the fractured ankle through race
distance). It's supposedly not a good track for Michelin so that'll make
it hard for Edwards and Lorenzo as well.

On the other hand there is rain forecasted - would put a smile on
westy's dial for the first time in a long while !

JL

 

These are apparently the sportsbets odds for the race (posted on crash -
I didn't check them against source): Note Ant West has as good odds as
capirossi and better than Melandri - someone thinks its going to piss down !

Sportsbet No. Selection Opening Odds Final Odds
32001 STONER Casey 2.00 2.50
32002 ROSSI Valentino 3.75 2.75
32003 PEDROSA Dani 10.00 4.00
32004 LORENZO Jorge (Doubtful) 10.00 9.00
32005 HAYDEN Nicky 13.00 26.00
32006 TOSELAND James 26.00 51.00
32007 MELANDRI Marco 29.00 151.00
32008 DE PUNIET Randy 34.00 151.00
32009 VERMEULEN Chris 51.00 26.00
32010 HOPKINS John 41.00 34.00
32011 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 51.00 34.00
32012 CAPIROSSI Loris 67.00 67.00
32013 EDWARDS Colin 67.00 34.00
32014 WEST Anthony 201.00 67.00

 

Talking to myself, although I suspect the google feed has lost its
link to the world. Anyways, giving its raining quite heavily, if it
sustain this for another couple of hours there's a good chance for a
kwaka podium although by the warm up times it's looking more like
Hopkins than West.

JL
(vermeulen will be happy too)

 

[ding] Pay the man!

 

<modestly> Well I did get the order of Stoner and Pedrosa back to
front </modestly>

JL
(first bloody time I got that close, I've got a pisspoor prediction
record !!)