MotoGP news

Stoner grabs pole at Assen, broken ankle for Hopkins

Ducati rider Casey Stoner will start Saturday's Dutch Grand Prix from pole position. The Australian has dominated for most of the weekend at the TT-circuit in Assen and was not going to give away the pole position to someone else today. Stoner will be joined by Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi on the front row. Kawasaki rider John Hopkins crashed heavily at Assen and will be unable to continue the Dutch Grand Prix weekend as he broke his ankle.

The qualifying session for the Dutch Grand Prix got under way in perfect weather conditions. Casey Stoner could soon be found on top of the time sheets and was not going to give his top spot away.

The qualifying session was mainly a fight between Stoner, Pedrosa and Rossi. The three championship candidates will start Saturday's Grand Prix from front row. Behind them we will see Nicky Hayden, Randy de Puniet and Colin Edwards.

Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo qualified in seventh position, while Yamaha rider Toseland qualified himself in a disappointing 13th position.

At Kawasaki the team will have to continue the weekend with just one rider. John Hopkins crahed heavily into the tyre barriers and broke his ankle. Hopkins will not be able to ride again this weekend.

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