125cc: Espargaro takes provisional pole
For the second time in as many weeks, Spaniard Pol Espargaro took provisional pole in qualifying for the 125cc class
The Belson Derbi rider, who equalled his best finish of third in last weekend's Italian Grand Prix, moved to the top of the times in Friday qualifying at Barcelona with 10 minutes to go and fended off all-comers to the end of the session.
Championship co-leader Mike de Meglio was second fastest ahead of reigning world champion Gabor Talmasci who completed the front row on his Aspar Aprilia.
Talsmasci's teammate Sergio Gadea was fourth fastest, despite a run across the gravel. Raffaele de Rosa and rapid American Steve Bonsey completed the top six.
Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter put his Derbi seventh while Britain's Bradley Smith could manage no better than eighth after seemingly towing half the field around the track on his final lap.
Sandro Cortese and Scott Redding (second in free practice) completed the top 10.
Spanish Repsol KTM rider Esteve Rabat was taken to the medical centre after crashing into the gravel in the last five minutes of the session.
Pos Rider Bike Time Gap 1. Pol Espargaro Derbi 1:51.103 2. Mike Di Meglio Derbi 1:51.311 +0.208 3. Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia 1:51.436 +0.333 4. Sergio Gadea Aprilia 1:51.442 +0.339 5. Raffaele De Rosa KTM 1:51.721 +0.618 6. Steve Bonsey Aprilia 1:51.932 +0.829 7. Dominique Agerter Derbi 1:51.976 +0.873 8. Bradley Smith Aprilia 1:51.988 +0.885 9. Sandro Cortese Aprilia 1:52.111 +1.008 10. Scott Redding Aprilia 1:52.227 +1.124 11. Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1:52.232 +1.129 12. Daniel Webb Aprilia 1:52.254 +1.151 13. Simone Corsi Aprilia 1:52.370 +1.267 14. Pablo Nieto KTM 1:52.416 +1.313 15. Joan Olive Derbi 1:52.434 +1.331 16. Nicolas Terol Aprilia 1:52.516 +1.413 17. Esteve Rabat KTM 1:52.752 +1.649 18. Tomoyoshi Koyama KTM 1:52.895 +1.792 19. Michael Ranseder Aprilia 1:53.102 +1.999 20. Efren Vazquez Aprilia 1:53.109 +2.006 21. Pere Tutusaus Aprilia 1:53.190 +2.087 22. Andrea Iannone Aprilia 1:53.213 +2.110 23. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia 1:53.394 +2.291 24. Alexis Masbou Loncin 1:53.420 +2.317 25. Marc Marquez KTM 1:53.777 +2.674 26. Lorenzo Zanetti KTM 1:53.958 +2.855 27. Robin Lasser Aprilia 1:54.008 +2.905 28. Stefano Bianco Aprilia 1:54.028 +2.925 29. Hugo van den Berg Aprilia 1:54.127 +3.024 30. Randy Krummenacher KTM 1:54.216 +3.113 31. Ruben Lacalendola Aprilia 1:54.458 +3.355 32. Ricard Cardus Derbi 1:54.505 +3.402 33. Axel Pons Aprilia 1:54.760 +3.657 34. Robert Muresan Aprilia 1:54.987 +3.884 35. Jules Cluzel Loncin 1:55.138 +4.035 36. Louis Rossi Honda 1:55.165 +4.062 37. Daniel Saez Aprilia 1:55.491 +4.388 38. Jordi Dalmau Honda 1:55.655 +4.552 39. Ivan Maestro Aprilia 1:56.465 +5.362
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