Stoner strikes back in final MotoGP test

Singapore: Australian Casey Stoner set the quickest time in the final MotoGP test under the lights of the Losail circuit in Qatar on Friday, ending the pre-season dominance of world champion Valentino Rossi.

Stoner, the 2007 world champion, steered his Ducati around the circuit in one minute 55.353 seconds, less than five-hundredths of a second faster than his Italian rival’s best lap of the two-day session. Rossi, who will be aiming for a 10th world title this season, dominated the first test session in Sepang, Malaysia and also set the quickest time in the first day of the Losail test on his Yamaha.The two riders will be back in the Qatari desert for the season-opening race on April 11. Bureau Report