Rossi break record in Valencia

Valentino Rossi set a searing pace in final practice for the Valencia Grand Prix as he recorded the fastest lap in the history of Spanish circuit. The 27-year-old Italian's lap of 1:31.817 on his Yamaha blitzed the previous record set by Spaniard Sete Gibernau last year.

Nicky Hayden, who trails Rossi by eight points in the world championship and is the only man who can deny the Italian a sixth straight Moto GP crown, showed his colours by going second, only 0.037 seconds slower. The chasing pack were led by Friday pace-setter Loris Capirossi's Ducati and Rossi's newly re-signed team-mate Colin Edwards.

Marco Melandri was fifth on his Fortuna Honda, while World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss, who is competing in Moto GP for the first time in a year, was sixth for Ducati. Hayden's Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa was the top Spaniard in front of his home crowd in seventh, with John Hopkins eighth for Suzuki.