After first day in Le MansAn excellent performance from 250cc rookie Mika Kallio earned him provisional pole in Friday's quarter litre class qualifying session at the Alice Grand Prix de France as he set a new circuit best lap of 1'38.982s.
The 24 year-old Red Bull
KTM rider set the record time on the last of his 21 laps of the famous 4.18km circuit, where he crossed the line second in last year's 125cc race. If he can confirm pole tomorrow the Finnish competitor will lead from the front as he goes in search of his first victory in the category in just his fifth race since moving up from the 125cc scene.
World Champion Jorge Lorenzo has been in superb form as he defends his title this season and he is never far off the pace - on this occasion the Aprilia equipped Spaniard lapped only 0.088s behind Kallio.
Two further Aprilia riders completed the provisional front row - Hector Barbera and Thomas Luthi both around one tenth of a second behind Kallio, again demonstrating the tight margins separating the 250 riders this year.
The provisional second row, meanwhile, currently comprises Andrea Dovizioso (Kopron Team Scot), Julian Simon (Repsol Honda), Alex de Angelis (Master – Mapfre Aspar) and his team-mate Alvaro Bautista.
In another remarkable showing from Metis Gilera's returning hero Roberto Locatelli, saw him complete another 18 laps as he continues his rehabilitation from his Jerez crash - the Italian lapping just 3.693s slower than Kallio's best.
DORNA
