Misano – Stoner out front in free practice

Despite dominating both Friday practice sessions with a flawless opening day performance at Misano, Casey Stoner's San Marino Grand Prix hopes are in doubt by a freak wrist injury.

The reigning world champion finished the day a comfortable 0.418secs ahead of world championship leader Valentino Rossi – but somehow re-opened a broken scaphoid bone, damaged back in 2003, in the process.

"The scaphoid is a really strange one because there has been no impact on it," explained a surprised Stoner. "I was just adjusting my back protector before going out for one of my runs this afternoon and I felt some pain.

"It got worse as the session went on so we decided to check it out with the Clinica Mobile and I couldn't believe it when they showed me the x-ray – it seems the bone I broke in 2003 has re-opened."

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 34.806 secs
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 35.224 secs
3. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 35.377 secs
4. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 35.620 secs
5. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 35.743 secs
6. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 35.766 secs
7. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 35.861 secs
8. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 35.913 secs
9. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 36.100 secs
10. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 36.105 secs
11. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 36.189 secs
12. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 36.219 secs
13. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 36.356 secs
14. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 36.425 secs
15. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 36.619 secs
16. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 37.096 secs
17. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 38.239 secs