Dani Pedrosa took today’s pole position during the qualifying session at Jerez de la Frontera. The Spanish rider was the fastest rider on the Jerez track with the softer tires continuing to better his lap time and finished the qualifying session with a best lap of 1′39.202.

Jorge Lorenzo took the second spot a little less than three tenths of second from the top spot, even though with the higher track temperature (48°-50°) he couldn’t better this morning’s race pace, but he was the only rider at the parc fermè that was happy with his place on the front row, while both Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner who took the third spot and from Pedrosa, declared that they still have several problems to be solved before tomorrow’s race, despite their first and third places on the grid.

Valentino Rossi, who was riding with no painkillers and no bandages led the session for the first forty minutes, but when it was time to put on the ‘qualifying’ tires could not find his best pace and loosing precious tenths in the third and fourth sectors, could manage only a fourth spot.

Nicky Hayden took fifth, his fall in this morning’s free practice not hampering his riding. Along side Rossi and Hayden will be Randy de Puniet in sixth and the gap between Lorenzo and De Puniet is just one tenth of a second.

Colin Edwards pipped out his team mate Ben Spies for the seventh spot by just 0,019s. Ninth on the grid will be Andrea Dovizioso and closing the top ten will be Marco Melandri.

Loris Capirossi in eleventh was the last rider to be one-second behind Pedrosa. Hiroshi Ayoma and Alvaro Bautista were 12th and 13th respectively, while Hector Barbera who has been hitching tows from Valentino Rossi during the session finished in 14th. Aleix Espargaro, Marco Simoncelli and Mika Kallio will be on the last row.

MotoGP Jerez Qualifying Results:

1 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 278,8 1′39.202
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 277,2 1′39.487 0.285 / 0.285
3 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 276,6 1′39.511 0.309 / 0.024
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 276,8 1′39.558 0.356 / 0.047
5 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 280,2 1′39.560 0.358 / 0.002
6 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 276,2 1′39.591 0.389 / 0.031
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 277,0 1′39.970 0.768 / 0.379
8 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 280,3 1′39.989 0.787 / 0.019
9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 277,5 1′40.021 0.819 / 0.032
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 281,0 1′40.027 0.825 / 0.006
11 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 275,6 1′40.206 1.004 / 0.179
12 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 275,8 1′40.322 1.120 / 0.116
13 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 278,1 1′40.416 1.214 / 0.094
14 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 275,7 1′40.482 1.280 / 0.066
15 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 271,0 1′40.555 1.353 / 0.073
16 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 273,4 1′40.586 1.384 / 0.031
17 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 277,7 1′40.803 1.601 / 0.217

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