MotoGPCasey Stoner followed up his Spanish Grand Prix victory by yesterday setting the fastest time in practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.

Australian Stoner, who has had to dismiss rumours that he will retire at the end of the season, led the way with a lap of one minute 38.396 seconds aboard his Repsol Honda.

Estoril is the only circuit on the MotoGP calendar that the 26-year-old Stoner has not won at in the premier class, and he left it late to claim top spot yesterday by edging out Yamaha’s Ben Spies.

The American had been quickest during the damp morning session and was on the pace again in the dry afternoon running, beating his team-mate and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo for the first time this season.

The performance will be a major boost for Spies, who has endured an awful beginning to the season, only managing 11th place finishes in Qatar and

Spain.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow was next up on his Tech 3 Yamaha as the Coventry rider maintained his excellent start to 2012.

The Briton has two fourth-placed finishes to his name in 2012, and looks set for another strong weekend as he matched the leading challengers.

Crutchlow was just 0.3 secs off Stoner’s ultimate pace as he edged Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo into fourth and fifth place respectively.

Alvaro Bautista was next up on the Gresini Honda but it was another difficult day for Ducati as Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi wound up in seventh and ninth positions.