Valentino Rossi vs. Nicky Hayden, let the battle commence

Valentino Rossi prepares to ride. © Camel Yamaha Team. The Stage is set for a head to head confrontation to decide the outcome of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship and the one hour qualifying session for the bwin.com Grand Prix of Portugal in Estoril this afternoon just heightened the tension and excitement.

Seven times World Champion Valentino Rossi will start the 28 lap race round the 2.599 miles Estoril circuit on pole and is joined on the front row by his Camel Yamaha team-mate, Colin Edwards and Championship leader Nicky Hayden.

Rossi has already won four premier class races at the Estoril circuit and has looked in ominous form throughout the weekend. Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden, despite running off the circuit towards the end of the session on the RC211V has also been impressive as the pressure mounts. He leads Rossi by 12 points with two rounds remaining and is the only rider who could clinch the title on Sunday afternoon.

Rossi's team-mate Colin Edwards vowed he will help the Italian while Hayden's team-mate Dani Pedrosa starts from the second row despite an altercation with Australian Casey Stoner who'd stopped out on the circuit impeding Pedrosa on his last lap.

“It's been a very good weekend so far and the pole setting lap was fantastic,” said a buoyant Rossi. “I had to take my brain out and put it on the table near the bed. It was such fun. The race is going to be fantastic. A great performance by Colin but Nicky has also looked very fast.”

Pedrosa is joined on the second row by Stoner and the Rizla Suzuki of impressive John Hopkins. In form Loris Capirossi has struggled on the Marlboro Ducati and qualified tenth nearly one second behind Rossi.

The brand new 800cc Ilmor lasted the pace and qualified 20th in the capable hands of former Estoril winner, Australian Garry McCoy.

Results:

1.Valentino ROSSI - YAMAHA 136.200
2. Colin EDWARDS - YAMAHA 1'36.478
3. Nicky HAYDEN - HONDA 1'36.549
4. Dani PEDROSA - HONDA 1'36.569
5. Casey STONER - HONDA 1'36.702
6. John HOPKINS - SUZUKI 1'36.790
7. Shinya NAKANO - KAWASAKI 1'36.790
8. Sete GIBERNAU - DUCATI 1'36.940
9.Carlos CHECA - YAMAHA 1'37.107
10.Loris CAPIROSSI - DUCATI 1'37.182
17. James ELLISON - YAMAHA 1'38.810.

(Nick Harris Media Communications)

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