LE MANS, France (AFP) –
World motorcycling champion Casey Stoner on Friday dominated the first and second practice sessions for the French Moto GP at Le Mans, after his shock announcement that he will quit the sport.
The 26-year-old Australian, who said on Thursday that he will bow out at the end of the season for personal reasons, led the pack with a combined time of 1min 33.740sec on the Honda.
Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, also on Honda, was in second and compatriot Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha in third.
Stoner has won 35 MotoGP races in his career and leads the current standings by a point after winning two of the season’s three events. The French Moto GP takes place on Sunday.