Pedrosa trails Lorenzo by 72 points in the riders' standings

Spain's Dani Pedrosa will start in pole position for Sunday's Czech MotoGP after topping qualifying in Brno.

The Repsol Honda rider, second in the rider standings, timed one minute 56.508 seconds to deny rookie Ben Spies his first MotoGP pole by 0.338 seconds.

Yamaha's championship leader Jorge Lorenzo crashed in the final minutes of the session, failing to claim his sixth pole in a row and was third fastest.

Valentino Rossi also came off his bike and will start fifth on the grid.

Both Lorenzo and world champion Rossi, competing in his third grand prix after returning from a four-race absence due to a broken leg, escaped unhurt. Rossi has won the race in the last two years.

Australia's former world champion Casey Stoner, on a Ducati, was fourth.

Spies, Pedrosa and Lorenzo had all jostled for top spot during the highly competitive session.

606: DEBATE Your views on Czech GP qualifying

And with just a few minutes remaining, it seemed as if Spies had done enough to secure top spot.

However, Pedrosa, who had dominated practice earlier, saved his best till last to thwart the American - although the world superbike champion could still be content with earning his highest grid position halfway through his debut season.

Spaniard Alvaro Bautista is a doubt to race on Sunday after the Suzuki rider suffered a heavy fall in morning practice.

In the 125cc class, Briton Bradley Smith, on an Aprilia, will start at the front for the first time after a lap of 2:07.146 ended championship frontrunner Marc Marquez's run of four successive poles.

Shoya Tomizawa of Japan, riding a Suter, was quickest inthe Moto2 category in 2:03.452.

Czech GP qualifying result:
1 Dani Pedrosa (Spn) Honda 1:56.508
2 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 1:56.846
3 Jorge Lorenzo (Spn) Yamaha 1:56.865
4 Casey Stoner (Aus) Ducati, 1:56.868
5 Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 1:57.059
6 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 1.57.117
7 Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 1:57.222
8 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 1:57.635
9 Hector Barbera (Spn) Ducati 1:57.960
10 Loris Capirossi (Ita) Suzuki 1:57.981
11 Randy de Puniet (Fra) Honda 1:59.5562

Moto2 qualifying result:
1 Shoya Tomizawa (Jap) Suter 2:03.452
2 Andrea Iannone (Ita) Speed Up 2:03.684
3 Toni Elias (Spn) Moriwaki 2:03.741

125cc qualifying result:
1 Bradley Smith (GB) Aprilia 2:07.146
2 Nicolas Terol (Spn) Aprilia 2:07.630
3 Pol Espargaro (Spn) Derbi 2:08.073

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