Daniel Pedrosa is ready to extend his advantage at the top of the 250cc World Championship in tomorrow’s Dutch TT, which opens with the quarter-litre race.

The double World Champion knocked over a second off his provisional time in today’s definitive qualifying session and secured a place on the front row for the sixth time this season having only failed to do so at Mugello, where he went on to take an important victory. However, the factor that gives him most confidence is the good race pace he managed to set ahead of what promises to be a tight battle, with the top four riders setting very similar lap times.

Hiroshi Aoyama was unable to hang on to the provisional front row he set yesterday but the Japanese rider is confident of staying with the lead group as long as he can manage a good start.

DANI PEDROSA (3rd, 2’04”901): “We’ve improved quite a lot from yesterday in terms of lap times and race pace. We’ve got things pretty clear and the only thing we need to decide is the tyres. They’ve reduced the problem we had in the chicane by inserting some markers and that helps to pick your line, although I couldn’t help running off track today. I hope the race is dry to make the most of the setting we have found and I also hope to get a good start. If it does rain then we’ll have to work quickly in the warm up to find a good set-up for the wet and, as always, I’ll give my best whatever the conditions. If the weather stays like this there are four or five riders who will be up there.

HIROSHI AOYAMA (6th, 2’05”702): “Even though my lap times improved quite a lot today I lost my place on the front row, but the bike is better and so is my feeling. I was lapping alone all day and I’ve got a good pace for the race, so I think this time I can stick with the pace of the four fast riders at the front as long as I get a good start.”

LAP TIMES

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Esp/Honda) &2’04”562
2. Sebastián Porto (Arg/Aprilia + 0”176
3. Dani Pedrosa (Esp/Honda) + 0”339
4. Casey Stoner (Aus/Aprilia + 0”689
5. Alex De Angelis (RSM/Aprilia + 0”894
6. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jap/Honda  + 1”140
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita/Honda + 1”302
8. Héctor Barberá (Esp/Honda) + 1”693
9. Randy De Puniet (Fra/Aprilia; + 1”701
10. Simone Corsi (Ita/Aprilia); + 2”247