Rossi takes pole for Czech MotoGP

Czech MotoGP, Brno
Date: 15-16 August
Saturday 15 August: 1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online
Sunday 16 August: 125cc and 250cc races: 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online. Race live: 1230-1400, BBC Two/online; MotoGP Extra, 1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online

Rossi leads team-mate Lorenzo by 25 points in the title race

World championship leader Valentino Rossi will start on pole position for Sunday's Czech MotoGP at Brno despite suffering a late crash in qualifying.

The defending world champion set a fastest lap of one minute 56.145 seconds, coming home ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, with Dani Pedrosa third.

Toni Elias, who has lost his place in the Gresini Honda team next year after Marco Melandri's signing, was fourth.

Rossi broke his own Brno lap record as he took his fifth pole of the season.

Mika Kallio, filling in for the ill Ducati rider Casey Stoner, finished in 10th place, but Britain's James Toseland had to settle for 14th place on the grid.

Afterwards, Rossi said he had suffered a minor hand injury but did not expect it to be a problem for Sunday's race.

Rossi leads the championship by 25 points, with Lorenzo second and Stoner, who is out for the next three races on medical grounds, in third place.

Czech MotoGP qualifying result:

1 V Rossi (It) Fiat Yamaha 1min 56.145 sec
2 J Lorenzo (Sp) Fiat Yamaha 1min 56.195 sec
3 D Pedrosa (Sp) Repsol Honda 1min 56.528 sec
4 T Elias (Sp) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1min 56.817 sec
5 C Edwards (US) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1min 56.954 sec
6 A Dovizioso (It) Repsol Honda 1min 57.108 sec
7 A de Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1min 57.775 sec
8 N Hayden (US) Ducati 1min 57.803 sec
9 L Capirossi (It) Rizla Suzuki 1min 57.811 sec
10 M Kallio (Fin) Ducati 1min 57.994 sec
11 C Vermeulen (Aus) Rizla Suzuki 1min 58.087 sec
12 N Canepa (It) Pramac Racing 1min 58.208 sec
13 R de Puniet (Fr) LCR Honda MotoGP 1min 58.298 sec
14 J Toseland (GB) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1min 58.331 sec
15 M Melandri (It) Hayate Racing Team 1min 58.477 sec
16 M Fabrizio (It) Pramac Racing 1min 58.680 sec
17 G Talmacsi (Hng) Scot Racing Team MotoGP 1min 58.749 sec

125cc qualifying result:

1 A Iannone (Italy) Aprilia 2 mins 8.171 secs
2 N Terol (Spain) Aprilia 2:08.484
3 S Cortese (Germany) Derbi 2:08.507

250cc qualifying result:

1 M Simoncelli (It) Gilera 2:01.611
2 H Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 2:01.961
3 H Barbera (Sp) Aprilia 2:02.064