Valentino Rossi pipped Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo to claim pole position for Sunday’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans.
The Italian, a seven-time world champion, produced a lap of one minute 33.408 seconds, 0.054sec faster than this season’s overall leader Lorenzo - whom Rossi trails by four points in the standings.
Another Spaniard, Dani Pedrosa, followed in third as he seeks to close the gap to the leading duo. Australia’s Casey Stoner, American Nicky Hayden and home favourite Randy De Puniet follow on the second row. The Press Association
Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso pushed himself to the front of row three with a final lap that placed him seventh in the session, and Colin Edwards of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team and Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi were eighth and ninth fastest respectively.
Top rookie was Pramac’s Aleix Espargaro in tenth, with Marco Melandri - who has switched back to Showa suspension this weekend - eleventh for Gresini Honda.
Ben Spies will start his first French MotoGP from 12th after braving the pain from an ankle injury sustained this morning, but Mika Kallio - who injured his shoulder in the same session - was left 16th and last.
The grid has been reduced to 16 riders because Capirossi’s team-mate Alvaro Bautista has been forced to withdraw after a big highside in the morning practice, which was the last thing he needed after breaking his collarbone while training last week. Auto Racing Daily
Pos. Num. Rider Team 1 46 Valentino ROSSI Fiat Yamaha Team 2 99 Jorge LORENZO Fiat Yamaha Team 3 26 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 4 27 Casey STONER Ducati Marlboro Team 5 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Marlboro Team 6 14 Randy DE PUNIET LCR Honda MotoGP 7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSORepsol Honda Team 8 5 Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 9 65 Loris CAPIROSSI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 10 41 Aleix ESPARGARO Pramac Racing Team 11 33 Marco MELANDRI San Carlo Honda Gresini 12 11 Ben SPIES Monster Yamaha Tech 3 13 58 Marco SIMONCELLISan Carlo Honda Gresini 14 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA Interwetten Honda MotoGP 15 40 Hector BARBERA Paginas Amarillas Aspar 16 36 Mika KALLIO Pramac Racing Team 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
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