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Leading times from Saturday's qualifying

Max Biaggi set a lap record to clinch pole position for the Catalunya Grand Prix while defending champion Valentino Rossi could only manage fourth.

It is the first time this season that pole position is not held by series leader Rossi who nevertheless remains in the front row of Sunday's starting grid.

Biaggi, riding a Yamaha, completed his 21st and fastest lap in 1 minute 44.523 seconds after reaching a top speed of 315.8 kph (197.4 mph) on the Montmelo circuit.

The Italian, who finished on the rostrum in the last two GPs in Italy and France, beat the circuit record of 1:46.619 set last year by compatriot Rossi.

Valentino Rossi
Rossi missed out on a sixth successive pole
Completing the first row in the grid are Japan's Tohru Ukawa, second in this year's standings, and Spaniard Sete Gibernau.

The stakes were raised after 19-year-old American rookie John Hopkins stunned the crowd by clocking a record-breaking 1:45.148 in his penultimate lap.

Hopkins finished sixth and starts on his Yamaha in the second row of the grid.

Spaniard reigns

Fonsi Nieto of Spain, who leads the 250cc championship, confirmed his fine form by snatching pole five minutes from the end of qualifying.

The Aprilia rider will lead off the grid ahead of Italy's Marco Melandri who is also chasing him hard in the championship standings.

Italy's Roberto Locatelli and Randy de Puniet of France complete the front row of the grid of what promises to be a tightly-contested 250cc race.

In the 125cc class, Manuel Poggiali of San Marino, riding a Gilera, snatched pole from Spaniard Pablo Nieto in the closing laps, beating the Spaniard by just over a quarter of a second.

Nieto shot ahead in the final lap with a clear track ahead of him, but his finishing time of 1:51.472 was not enough to catch Poggiali's one minute 51.216 seconds.

Steve Jenkner of Germany came in third place at 1:51.657 followed only .01 seconds behind by Spain's Daniel Pedrosa, at 1:52.667.

Leading times from Saturday's qualifying in Barcelona:

Moto GP:
1. Max Biaggi (Ita) Yamaha, one minute 44.523 seconds
2. Tohru Ukawa (Jpn) Honda, 1:44.859
3. Sete Gibernau (Spa) Suzuki, 1:44.940
4. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Honda, 1:44.950
5. Loris Capirossi (Ita) Honda, 1:45.133
6. John Hopkins (US) Yamaha, 1:45.148
7. Carlos Checa (Spa) Yamaha, 1:45.253
8. Kenny Roberts (US) Suzuki, 1:45.532
9. Alex Barros (Bra) Honda, 1:45.573
10. Shinya Nakano (Jpn) Yamaha, 1:45.750

250cc:
1. Fonsi Nieto (Spa) Aprilia, 1:47.315
2. Marco Melandri (Ita) Aprilia, 1:47.745
3. Roberto Locatelli (Ita) Aprilia, 1:47.792
4. Randy de Puniet (Fra) Aprilia, 1.47.805
5. Franco Battaini (Ita) Aprilia, 1:47.817
6. Roberto Rolfo ((Ita) Honda, 1:48.058
7. Emilio Alzamora (Spa) Honda, 1:48.444
8. Sebastian Porto (Arg) Yamaha, 1:48.447
9. Toni Elias (Spa) Aprilia, 1:48.598
10. Alex Debon (Spa) Aprilia, 1:48.721

125cc:
1. Manuel Poggiali (SMa) Gilera, one minute 51.216 seconds
2. Pablo Nieto (Spa) Aprilia, 1:51.472
3. Steve Jenkner (Ger) Aprilia, 1:51.657
4. Daniel Pedrosa (Spa) Honda, 1:51.667
5. Lucio Cecchinello (Ita) Aprilia, 1:51.988
6. Youichi Ui (Jpn) Derbi, 1:52.136
7. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Derbi, 1:52.143
8. Simone Sanna (Ita) Aprilia, 1:52.258
9. Gino Borsoi (Ita) Aprilia, 1:52.324
10. Mika Kallio (Fin) Honda, 1:52.343


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