Cal Crutchlow takes stunning maiden pole position at Assen

Cal Crutchlow took his first ever MotoGP pole position during today’s exciting Q2 session with a stunning flying last lap in 1:34.398.

The Yamaha Tech3 rider was almost four tenths faster than injured Marc Marquez who was second fastest, and for a very, very brief moment the MotoGP rookie thought he had taken the pole, but Crutchlow was a man on a mission and blasted across the finish line to be first British rider to take a MotoGP pole in eleven years, the last time was Jeremy McWilliams, at Phillip Island in 2002.

“It’s good. I’m pleased obviously, but for me it’s not a true pole because Jorge [Lorenzo] wasn’t not here,” said Crutchlow, “I would have liked to have a dogfight with him, hopefully we’ll be able to do that when he returns and hopefully for a race win later in the season. But we did a good job. I wasn’t happy in free practice four, but if we can make the bike calmer we can go faster again. I’m looking forward to the race. We’ll see what we can do.”

Crutchlow and Marquez last flying laps demoted an excellent Stefan Bradl to third, but it is still a front row start and a first for the LCR rider who switched to Brembo brakes this weekend, and they also knocked Valentino Rossi to fourth, and a second row start.

After taking the provisional pole with five minutes to go in the high octane session, Dani Pedrosa crashed out. The Repsol Honda veteran lost the front of his bike at the De Bult and he was able to walk away and he managed to return to his garage but decided not to go out, and that cost him dearly as he’ll have to start fifth on the grid.

Bradley Smith also had an excellent qualifying session as he was sixth, his best result of the season and he made it three Yamaha’s in the top six positions, after causing some problems during the brief session for Marquez.

CRT rider Aleix Espargaro will open the third row with his seventh place with Alvaro Bautista squeezed between the Spaniard and his team mate Randy De Puniet who qualified ninth and ahead Nicky Hayden who managed a tenth spot and while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro who is subbing for Ben Spies was 11th.

Andrea Dovizioso will start in a lowly 15th tomorrow, and he will probably be handed a penalty point after kicking out Hector Barbera during QP1.

If Jorge Lorenzo passes his fitness test - as he is already flying back to Assen - he will start in 12th.

2013 MotoGP Assen QP2 results:

01- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1’34.398
02- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.357
03- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.480
04- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.576
05- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.608
06- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.056
07- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.102
08- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 1.110
09- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.224
10- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.510
from TWOWHEELSBLOG