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Stoner cruises to pole at Le Mans

Continuing his streak of consistently fast laps at Le Mans, Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda Team) clinched pole position in qualifying, finishing the session just 0.059s ahead of Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), who secured second place with a rapid lap in the last two minutes of the session. Completing the all-Honda front row was Andrea Dovizioso from Repsol Honda, who achieved third position on his final lap, ensuring a spot at the front.

Qualifying fourth and fifth were Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) respectively; both riders will find themselves starting tomorrow’s race from behind the front row for the first time this season.

In sixth place, Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) rounded out the second row, showcasing a strong performance during a tightly contested qualifying session. Having no prior experience on the French circuit, Crutchlow lapped 0.259s faster than his Texan teammate Colin Edwards, who will begin the race from seventh.

Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) took the eighth and ninth positions, both with identical lap times. However, Spies earned the eighth spot as his second fastest lap outperformed Rossi’s.

Early in the session, French rider Randy De Puniet crashed his Pramac Racing Ducati due to a highside at turn twelve but managed to qualify in eleventh place, just behind factory Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden, who will start from tenth.

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