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Qualification
Follow the Grand Prix Netherlands live. This MotoGP race starts at 13:55 on 29 June 2012. Find race results, calendar, standings, scores and all of this season’s MotoGP races.
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Highlights
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Thanks for joining me - we'll return for the race tomorrow at 11.20am. Stoner on pole.
That my friends is that - a manic five minutes after horrible delays, and Stoner comes to the fore to take pole with a brutal penultimate lap.
Lorenzo's final lap now, and he's on Stoner's time. The checkered flag is out and Lorenzo is almost on Stoner's time but no, he can't do it. Crutchlow has moved into fourth now, and Bradl is having a pop and I think he has moved fourth now!
Lorenzo and Pedrosa are scrapping it out for second, Lorenzo has just moved past him but Pedrosa's final lap moves him back to second, still about half a second off Stoner.
Stoner is half a second up at the second split! He comes into the final chicane AND STONER HAS DONE IT! He surges into pole with a massive half-second gap on Pedrosa! Where did that come from!
Stoner is flying round again, he's picking up yet more pace but so is Lorenzo! Late fireworks in qualifying at Assen!!
Stoner is hitting pole pace right at the death after doing nothing all weekend, this is fantastic from him particularly given the fact we've had barely any action due to the rain today! He loses pace at the death but he's up to third, just a tenth or so off Pedrosa!
Stoner is really going for it, everyone forced to get out of his way as he takes every corner like it's his last and he skims the kerb with his knee!!
This should be interesting - they have managed to get them out for five or six minutes, so expect them to really go for it.
Not much going on now, the riders are strolling about looking jittery as it very much seems like qualifying will have been ruined by the rain.
It's raining quite heavily now as they return to the pits. Could be another 10-15minute delay, which would render the rest of qualifying pointless. I can see the front row staying as is, with Pedrosa on pole.
It's started raining again though, which could scupper their plans to impact on the leading times! The flag is up too.
It seems like everyone is getting ready for a switch to the softs for a late burst. Could be a shake up of the times late on.
Still no improvement from the top two, but everyone else is closing the gap - but slowly, with no impact on Spies's time.
Ok so a recap - Pedrosa (1:34.286) leads Lorenzo by just under a tenth, the same times set before that early rain break; the best of the rest is Spies, but he's around .3s behind Lorenzo. Spies heads a pack including Dovizioso, Bautista, Crutchlow and Bradl who are all just under .5s off Lorenzo.
Bautista with a leap of around 0.3s to move up to fourth from seventh. All happening now as they pick up speed on the moist track.
Bradl is doing well now, moving up to sixth as he improves slightly lap by lap.
Spies now shades into third, still 0.27s behind Lorenzo in second. The top two times remain from just before the rain break.
A big boost for Crutchlow who speeds up from eighth to third, just 0.3s off Lorenzo.
Everyone is taking is fairly easy now with the rain threatening to return. The only improvement I can see is De Puniet moving up a spot to 13th.
Stoner is back out now, as Danilo Petrucci almost takes a tumble.
They're slowly getting back out to join Rossi, who is cruising about at the moment, getting a feel for things.
Bold as ever, Rossi has gone back out with no-one else close to a restart. He's back in 12th and wants to get moving in case it rains again. It has just stopped, but only just.
Not sure when we'll see qual resume. Maybe a few minutes, as it seems to have lightened up a touch.
Just a recap, Pedrosa snuck back into the lead with 1:34.286, with Lorenzo 0.081 behind and Dovizioso almost half a second back. Hayden is fourth (+0.544), Stoner fifth (+0.669) and Bradl sixth (+0.685).
The track is clear now as the bikes get some loving under the covers. Those hardy Dutch folk aren't moving though, the stands are packed today.
A few of the lads are struggling with the sudden downpour, and they all start to sit up and take pit stops.
It's raining, and they have been flagged. Pedrosa has gone with soft tyres early, perhaps predicting that.
Behind Lorenzo and Pedrosa we have Dovizioso, Haden and Stoner. Spies has shunted Crutchlow to seventh, but then Bradl bursts up to sixth ahead of Spies.
1:34.376 - He's getting quicker and has now outdone Pedrosa's FP2 best. That's championship leader Jorge Lorenzo.
1:34.564 - that's what Lorenzo has set now, Pedrosa just on his heels. That's only a shade slower than Pedrosa's FP2 best.
Lorenzo has set an early pace of 1:34.851. Just getting into their stride now.
Pedrosa obviously is the man to beat today. Still a touch wet out there, fairly typical Dutch June weather.
Earlier on Dani Pedrosa was quickest for Honda in the rain-disrupted final practice session. Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo's Yamaha was second fastest, while Pedrosa's team-mate Casey Stoner crashed heavily during a rain shower, but escaped serious injury and was able to rejoin later.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the qualification session for the Netherlands Grand Prix at Assen.