Hector Barbera, Alex Debon and Alvaro Bautista got the last-ever 250cc race weekend off to a good start by locking out the top three positions on home ground at Valencia.

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The trio rarely featured outside the top five as they disputed honours around the Comunitat Ricardo Tormo circuit, Barbera eventually getting the nod over Debon with a lap-time of a minute, 36.185 seconds.

Aprilia counterparts - and countrymen - Debon and Bautista followed three- and sixth-tenths adrift respectively, just ahead of champion-elect Hiroshi Aoyama.

Needing just five points - or 11th position - to ensure the final 250cc title goes his and Honda's way, Aoyama crept up to fourth late in the session having spent much of the hour focusing on race set-up.

The only man that can beat him to the title, Marco Simoncelli, was two-tenths slower in sixth position, the pair being split by Aoyama's Scot team-mate Raffaele de Rosa.

Hector Faubel, Mike di Meglio, Ratthapark Wilairot and Thomas Luthi completed the top 10, the latter having experienced a trip across the gravel early in the session.

MotoGP round 17 at Valencia LIVE this weekend, with qualifying at 11:55am on Saturday on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe