Portuguese GP - Stoner ahead but Rossi closing

Casey Stoner showed just why he is the red hot favourite to win the Portuguese Grand Prix by topping the final free practice session for the race.

Stoner lapped the Estoril circuit in 1:31.173 on his Ducati, but Valentino Rossi sent a warning to the 21-year-old Australian by circulating only 0.261 seconds slower on his Yamaha.

His time came on only the seventh of his 26 laps while Rossi, who was off the pace initially, gradually brought himself back towards the front as the session progressed.

An impressive third was Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli on his Tech-3 Yamaha, ensuring that tyre suppliers Bridgestone, Michelin and Dunlop each had a bike in the top three.

But the Frenchman's time is perhaps misleading as before he bolted on a set of Dunlop qualifiers he had languished outside the top ten.

Out-going world champion Nicky Hayden and his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa were fourth and sixth, sandwiching John Hopkins Suzuki, while Friday star Makoto Tamada continued Tech-3's good weekend in seventh place.

Carlos Checa recovered from his Friday crash to set the eighth fastest time on his LCR Honda with Randy de Puniet's Kawasaki and Shinya Nakano's Konica Minolta Honda completing the top ten.

Anthony West, on the second Kawasaki, was lucky to walk away from a high-speed crash two minutes from the end of the session. He was 18th fastest, only quicker than Kurtis Roberts' KR.