MotoGP World Championship leader Dani Pedrosa led a top three covered by just 0.060secs during Friday practice at Le Mans, which ended with an accident for the already injured Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa put himself on target to become the first repeat winner of 2008, during Sunday's fifth round, by taking a 0.133secs advantage over Lorenzo in the morning session - then upping his pace by over 0.4secs in the afternoon.
But reigning world champion Casey Stoner was just 0.049secs behind the Repsol Honda rider by the end of day one, with Colin Edwards providing Tech 3 Yamaha with an excellent start to the team's home event by leading much of the afternoon hour on his way to an eventual third, just a whisker from Pedrosa.
Lorenzo, who will start the French Grand Prix seven points behind Pedrosa, was fourth fastest (+0.260secs) - but suffered a major scare just moments before the chequered flag was waved when the Spaniard, who fractured his ankles last time out in Shanghai, fell from his Fiat Yamaha at the exit of turn one.
Fortunately, the MotoGP rookie was able to hobble gingerly to his feet, without apparently suffering any further damage, before sitting on a stretcher and being carried out of the gravel trap.
2007 Le Mans winner Chris Vermeulen proved he doesn't need rain to be fast in France by setting the fifth fastest time for Rizla Suzuki, the Australian finishing the day between the Fiat Yamaha riders with Valentino Rossi sixth quickest.
Rossi had been third this morning, but was the only rider to lap slower in the afternoon session, leaving him 0.659secs from Pedrosa and the third best Bridgestone rider (behind Stoner and Vermeulen) at Michelin's home event.
Shinya Nakano, a French resident during his Tech 3 days, was a promising seventh fastest, with Randy de Puniet taking his special red, white and blue home Honda LCR livery to a day one eighth.
John Hopkins once again led the Kawasaki challenge in ninth, with Alex de Angelis the second best rookie behind Lorenzo in tenth - but just one second behind Pedrosa!
Loris Capirossi steered the second Suzuki to eleventh, with Pedrosa's team-mate Nicky Hayden likely to be unhappy with his day one twelfth. JiR Team Scot rookie Andrea Dovizioso was a lower-than-usual 13th, with Stoner's team-mate Marco Melandri moving up to 14th late in the second session.
James Toseland finished his first day at Le Mans in 15th position, 1.6secs from Pedrosa, while Anthony West, Toni Elias and home hero Sylvain Guintoli completed the 18 rider field around the stop-start Bugatti circuit.
Both sessions were dry today, but rain remains a threat for Saturday's qualifying session and Sunday's race.
Friday practice:
1. Pedrosa
2. Stoner
3. Edwards
4. Lorenzo
5. Vermeulen
6. Rossi
7. Nakano
8. de Puniet
9. Hopkins
10. de Angelis
11. Capirossi
12. Hayden
13. Dovizioso
14. Melandri
15. Toseland
16. West
17. Elias
18. Guintoli
