Capirossi crashes at practice training TT-Assen.

Suzuki's Italian rider had missed the previous British round with a broken hand. The team said he would not be replaced for the TT race at Assen. "The crash was nothing to do with his recent hand injury and it was just one of those things that happens in racing," team manager Paul Denning said.

"He was lucky that he didn´t break anything or cause more damage to the original injury because it is a really fast place to crash.

"Unfortunately the bike got on top of him and ripped a sizeable piece of flesh from his right forearm."

MotoGP doctors operated on the wound at the circuit and Denning was confident Capirossi would be back for the next round in Germany in two weeks time.

World champion Casey Stoner took his dominant Donington Park form to Assen as he led both opening free practice sessions.

Stoner, who returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the Qatar season opener at Donington Park, took a 0.6secs advantage over nearest rival Nicky Hayden in morning practice - then lowered his pace substantially en route to hold a huge 0.732secs lead over world championship leader Valentino Rossi in the afternoon.

Fiat Yamaha star Rossi claimed a memorable victory over Stoner last season at Assen, but the young Australian - who credits new software as having helped to stabilise his Desmosedici - looks determined to claim revenge, whilst chipping away at the current 45 point deficit to Rossi.

Dani Pedrosa, between Rossi and Stoner in the title chase, was only ninth fastest with Repsol Honda team-mate Hayden once again the quickest RCV on track, claiming fourth in FP2.

Third fastest was the rider Hayden beat during a dramatic 2006 final-turn Assen showdown - Colin Edwards. That race remains the closest Edwards has got to a grand prix victory, but the Texan put his Tech 3 Yamaha just 0.112secs from Rossi and was the leading Michelin rider during day one of the 2008 event.

The leading rookie was Alex de Angelis, in a promising fifth position, with San Carlo Gresini Honda team-mate Shinya Nakano one place behind him on a strong showing by the Bridgestone-backed satellite team.

Randy de Puniet was seventh for LCR Honda, with John Hopkins the lead Kawasaki in eighth.

The top Suzuki was 2007 pole sitter Chris Vermeulen while after a disastrous home grand prix, rookie James Toseland began steadily rebuilding his confidence with 13th position - at a circuit he won at in WSBK last season. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider lapped 1.8secs from the top, but was just in front of race-winning factory Yamaha rookie Jorge Lorenzo.

Alice Team's Toni Elias, who has missed the last three Dutch TTs due to injuries before or during the race weekend, is on target to make his first premier-class Assen start after finishing Friday injury-free and holding 16th position. Team-mate Sylvain Guintoli underlined his increasing confidence with twelfth.

But there was no sign of progress for Stoner's team-mateMarco Melandri. The Italian - rumoured to be facing imminent replacement - was left 18th and last, having lapped 4.5secs behind Stoner's best time.