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MotoGP Barcelona qualifying

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That was a brilliant qualifying session, and it has set us up nicely for another thrilling grand prix on Sunday.

That is it for our live coverage today. Thank you so much for joining us, and please do join us again on Sunday for the seventh round of the 2017 MotoGP season.
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Dani Pedrosa beat Jorge Lorenzo to pole, as Marc Marquez crashed twice

Barcelona MotoGP: Pedrosa beats Lorenzo to pole as Marquez crashes

Dani Pedrosa beat Jorge Lorenzo in qualifying to take pole position for the Catalunya Grand Prix, as Honda MotoGP team-mate Marc Marquez crashed twice.

Barcelona MotoGP: Pedrosa beats Lorenzo to pole as Marquez crashes
Information
So this is what the grid looks like after another fabulous qualifying segment:
1. Pedrosa - Lorenzo - Petrucci
2. Marquez - A.Espargaro - Barbera
3. Dovizioso - Folger - Vinales
4. Bautista - Redding - Iannone
5. Rossi - Zarco - Miller
6. Baz - Crutchlow - Abraham
7. Rabat - P.Espargaro - Lowes
8. Guintoli*

Smith will not take part in the race due to injury, while Guintoli's participation is in doubt after he was taken to the medical centre earlier with dizziness.
Aleix Espargaro put the Aprilia a brilliant fifth, by far and away his best qualifying result of the season.
A little further back, Vinales will launch from ninth tomorrow after a difficult day on his Yamaha. Sunday could well be about damage limitation for the championship leader.
Lorenzo keeps his fantastic run of Barcelona front row starts going in second, while Petrucci gets the front row start he was denied at home seven days ago in third.
Checkered flag
Pedrosa is on pole in Barcelona.
Checkered flag
Chequered flag out...
This time it's Turn 5 where Marquez loses it, the Spaniard walks away in disgust with his error.
Crash
Marquez crashes again!
We are into the final minute and Petrucci has jumped up to third. No one threatening Pedrosa at present.
Marquez goes third having been on the deck just a few minutes ago.
Vinales improves to fifth on the Yamaha. Currently 0.750s adrift of Pedrosa's time.
Barbera moves up to third on the Avintia Ducati GP16.
Stopwatch
Pedrosa goes top with a 1m43.870s.
Folger goes third with his first flying lap. Impressive.
Marquez is back out. Quick work by his Honda crew.
Marquez is quite lucky. His bike looks relatively undamaged, which is good news as his other RC213V is damaged from an earlier crash.
Running order:1. Lorenzo2. Pedrosa3. Dovizioso4. A. Espargaro5. Marquez6. Vinales7. Redding8. Petrucci9. Bautista10. Iannone11. Barbera
Folger is yet to post a lap time, but has left the pits. He will have a nice clear track for his first attempt.
Not for long, however, as Aleix Espargaro has gone fourth now.
Marquez had just posted a session best first sector when he crashed. The Honda rider is fourth at present.
Now he's going again, and the Repsol Honda crew already has his number two bike ready.
Marquez just lost the front over the bumps mid-turn, and it looks like he's struggling to get the bike going again.
Crash
Marquez has crashed at Turn 3!
Stopwatch
Lorenzo has gone top with a 1m44.201s - he's qualified on the front row in Barcelona for the last eight years.
Stopwatch
Pedrosa immediately takes over top spot from Dovizioso with a 1m44.472s.
Stopwatch
Bautista is the early pacesetter with a 1m44.436s.
Q1 pacesetter Folger the only rider still in the pits right now.
Marquez was on pole here last year and set the pace in third practice this morning, though did visit the gravel a couple of times as he pushed to find the limit.
Vinales also out early doors, using medium tyres all round.
Marquez and Pedrosa among the early takers, both on hard front and soft rear.
Green flag
The fight for pole is go!
Information
For the first time, six Ducati riders will contest Q2. One of them will be Alvaro Bautista, but a fast crash at the final corner in fourth practice has left him with just one Desmosedici at his disposal for this session.

By: Mitchell Adam

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