MotoGP Grand Prix of France 2016: Race Schedule, Live Stream and Top Riders

Marc Marquez will look to extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP standings on Sunday at the Grand Prix of France in Le Mans, but Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are sure to be hot on his heels.

The Movistar Yamaha duo ate into the Spaniard's lead last time out at the Grand Prix of Spain, and they'll be eager to further reel in the two-time world champion.

Here is the full schedule for the fifth race in the calendar and a more in-depth look at the riders set to battle it out in France:

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Friday, May 6	8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.	Free Practice 1
Friday, May 6	1:05 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Free Practice 2
Saturday, May 7	8:55 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.	Free Practice 3
Saturday, May 7	12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, May 7	1:10 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, May 7	1:35 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, May 8	1 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK) and beIN Sports CONNECT (US).

Valentino Rossi

The 37-year-old was first across the line in Jerez last time out, per BT Sport MotoGP:

According to MotoGP.com, the win puts him ninth on the list of oldest riders to win a premier-class grand prix. After failing to finish at the Circuit of the Americas, the Italian has now firmly kick-started his season.

As journalist Julian Ryder noted, he won in impressive fashion in Spain:

With Lorenzo seven points ahead and Marquez a further 17 in front, Rossi could really use another win to put him right back in the race for the championship.

After the victory in Jerez, he reflected on his own excellent race and believes he couldn't have done any better:

If he can put in a repeat performance over the weekend culminating in another excellent outing on Sunday, he could make valuable gains on his rivals.

Marc Marquez

As important as it is for Rossi and Lorenzo to reduce the deficit, Marquez will want to continue to pick up the points himself to stay ahead in case he should suffer the issues that saw him retire from six races last year.

He will also need to improve on last season's fourth-place finish in France if he's to extend his impressive run of four successive podiums to five this year.

According to the Repsol Honda Team, Marquez is wary of the difficult track at Le Mans:

Nevertheless, he is feeling good about his chances of doing well, per MotoGP.com:

"

During the last test in Jerez, we worked a lot on electronics and the chassis setting to find more grip, and on the balance of the bike to reduce wheelieing. It’s always a compromise but I think we’ve gathered useful info for Le Mans and, knowing how far we’ve come since this winter and how quickly we’ve been able to react to many situations, I feel confident and look forward to starting the next racing weekend.

"

Along with Rossi, Lorenzo also looks set to provide Marquez with a real challenge in France. The reigning champion won in Le Mans last year and has finished in the top two in every race he's finished this season, so if Lorenzo can avoid any issues he'll likely be contesting a podium place at the very least.

It's all set for a thrilling showdown between the trio on Sunday, and while the championship won't be decided then and there it could have huge ramifications for the rest of the season.