Valentino Rossi took his 59th pole position of his career (49 in the top class) and the first of this 2010 season in today’s qualifying session at Le Mans. The Fiat Yamaha rider laid down a best lap of 1′33.408 in the dying minutes of the hour, pipping his team mate Jorge Lorenzo by just 0.054s.

Third went to Dani Pedrosa who was just 0.165s from Rossi, but the Spaniard continues to say that he still has to work on his race pace, but watch out for the classic lightning start from the Repsol rider tomorrow.

Casey Stoner was fourth, the Ducati rider was leading in the sessione having put his best time with scrubbed hard tires, but when he switched to the softer amd more performing tires couldn’t better his lap time.

Nicky Hayden was 0.021s just behind his team mate to take a fifth spot on the grid, but the American rider in the post qualifying interview stated that he still doesn’t have the race pace to keep up with the front runners.

Homeboy Randy de Puniet put his satellite LCR Honda in sixth place and the French rider was 0.666sec from Rossi and followed by Colin Edwards and Loris Capirossi. Andrea Dovizioso on his Repsol Honda will be taking off from ninth place, while Aleix Espargaro took tenth for Pramac Ducati.

Marco Melandri was eleventh, the Gresini rider has abandoned his Ohlins to switch back to Showa suspensions and is currently the only rider in the MotoGP paddock using them

Ben Spies who highsided in this morning’s free practice and is riding with an injured left foot qualifyed in 12th, while Mika Kallio is riding with an injured shoulder after this morning’s crash, was 16th and last.

The already scrawny MotoGP grid is down another rider, because Alvaro Bautista has withdrawn from the Le Mans race following his highside this morning that worsened his already injured shoulder

MotoGP Le Mans Qualifying Results:

01- Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1′33.408
02- Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.054
03- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.165
04- Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.416
05- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.437
06- Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 0.666
07- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.896
08- Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 0.898
09- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.903
10- Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.106
11- Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.115
12- Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.512
13- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.534
14- Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1.571
15- Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.915
16- Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 2.402

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