Moto2: Debon takes final 250cc pole
Alex Debon will start tomorrow's last ever world championship 250cc race in pole position, before the series gives way next year to the new Moto2 class
The Spanish rider set the quickest time of the 45-minute session at Valencia, with a 1m36.116s lap, moments before running off the track following a suspected engine seizure with his Blusens Aprilia.
The bike went through the gravel trap at high speed, and despite Debon dropping it, he could not avoid hitting the barriers. He was stretchered off the track, but according to Dr Claudio Costa he should be able to race on home soil tomorrow.
Gilera's Marco Simoncelli, who still maintains a faint hope of defending his crown, will start the race from the second spot on the grid, after managing to take the position back from Honda's Ratthapack Wilairot in his penultimate effort.
Pepe Aprilia's Hector Barbera also snatched third spot from Wilairot in the dying seconds, relegating the Thai to the final spot of the front row.
Scot Honda's Hiroshi Aoyama, who virtually has this year's title in the bag, salvaged a fifth spot on the grid after running around the tenth position for most of the session.
Tomas Luthi (Emmi Aprilia) qualified sixth, ahead of Karel Abraham (Cardion Aprilia), Mattia Pasini (Paddock GP Aprilia), Alvaro Bautista (Aspar Aprilia) and Hector Faubel (SAG Honda).
Pos Rider Bike Time Laps 1. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m36.116s 20 2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m36.450s + 0.334s 22 3. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m36.470s + 0.354s 21 4. R.Wilairot Honda 1m36.563s + 0.447s 20 5. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m36.656s + 0.540s 22 6. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m36.985s + 0.869s 23 7. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m37.271s + 1.155s 22 8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m37.278s + 1.162s 20 9. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m37.303s + 1.187s 22 10. Hector Faubel Honda 1m37.318s + 1.202s 21 11. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1m37.365s + 1.249s 21 12. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m37.577s + 1.461s 21 13. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m37.749s + 1.633s 17 14. R.Locatelli Gilera 1m37.811s + 1.695s 22 15. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1m37.958s + 1.842s 15 16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m38.085s + 1.969s 20 17. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m38.126s + 2.010s 21 18. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m38.291s + 2.175s 19 19. Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 1m38.737s + 2.621s 21 20. Shuhei Aoyama Honda 1m38.795s + 2.679s 19 21. Valentin Debise Honda 1m39.283s + 3.167s 16 22. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m40.371s + 4.255s 19 23. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia 1m41.605s + 5.489s 13 24. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m42.418s + 6.302s 20 - William Dunlop Honda 1m42.906s + 6.790s 20
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