Lorenzo in Pole for Spain GP

MotoGP qualifying at the Gran Premio bwin de España was a thrilling affair as Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo took pole position in front of his home crowd in a frantic battle to the end with compatriot Dani Pedrosa.

After a spate of wet practice sessions, Yamaha Factory Racing´s Lorenzo took full advantage of the dry track, as he left it until the final lap to post a time of 1.39´532. Repsol Honda´s Pedrosa could not quite match the pace of his rival, yet starts tomorrow´s race from second on the grid, making it a Spanish one-two.

Completing the front row is surprise inclusion Nicky Hayden, who wrung the neck of his Ducati to place it third, just over a second behind Lorenzo. Fourth place went to Monster Yamaha Tech3´s Cal Crutchlow despite a crash towards the end. A rain scare half way through the session did however almost see him steal his first ever pole.

Stoner, who almost came off his bike at turn one, could not match the pace of his team mate, and had to settle for fifth on the grid. The second row is rounded out by Lorenzo´s team mate Spies, who was back on form after some subdued practice session in the wet, though a full 1.5s off the front.

Row three is headed up by Crutchlow´s team mate Andrea Dovizioso in seventh, while San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Álvaro Bautista, LCR Honda MotoGP´s Stefan Bradl and Power Electronics Aspar´s Randy de Puniet complete the top ten.

Valentino Rossi endured anther shocking qualifying session, finishing as last non-CRT bike again in 13th, after having shown promise in the earlier wet practice.

With a few damp patches still out on track, numerous riders were caught out including Avintia Blusens´ Yonny Hernandez, San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Michele Pirro, NGM Mobile Forward Racing´s Colin Edwards and Pramac Racing Team´s Hector Barberá, all suffering crashes throughout the session.

This is the first time since the 2010 Valencia MotoGP round that three separate manufacturers make up the front row.

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Weather Curtails Jerez Testing

Nicky Hayden posted the top time as wet and windy weather curtailed the second day of pre-season MotoGP testing.

The 2006 champion was one of a handful of riders to take to the drying track in the closing stages and managed a lap of one minute, 40.755 seconds.

Karel Abraham was second while defending champion Casey Stoner was down in 18th after only attempting three laps all day at Jerez.

Stoner said: "There was no reason for us to stay out and ruin sets of tyres."

Stoner was fastest in the dry on Friday but only ventured out of the garage briefly during Saturday as most of the top riders decided not to risk the treacherous conditions just a fortnight before the start of the season.

The Australian said: "We realised the weather conditions weren't really suitable for what we needed to work on so we decided to wait for the heavier rain, which never appeared.

"We went out briefly but realised it wasn't really wet enough to work on anything regarding wet set-up.

"They were 50/50 conditions and you never set up a bike for these circumstances. I hope the weather improves tomorrow so we can continue our plan".

Stoner's Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa managed the best lap in the fully wet conditions, with a 1:49.822.

British rider Cal Crutchlow completed 15 laps in the wet, posting the 14th-best time, and targeted further improvements if the weather stays fair on Sunday.

He said: "I've never ridden the new 1,000cc bike in the rain so it was important to get a few laps under my belt today.

"I only did a few laps though because it is pointless taking too many risks with the first race so close. The surface wasn't actually completely wet when I was out because this track dries so quickly but the first impression of the bike in the wet is really positive.

"I think if I had put in a new tyre I could have been fastest in the rain. Hopefully the weather is much better tomorrow because I've got a few things to try."

The three-day test concludes on Sunday, with the first race of the season in Qatar on 8 April.

Hayden to Undergo Surgery

Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden is to undergo shoulder surgery this week after a weakness was revealed in winter testing.

The Ducati rider left a recent pre-season event in Sepang early to head for medical tests in his native USA.

The scans revealed damage to cartilage in his left shoulder and muscles in his back.

"Of course another operation before the season is never a good thing", Hayden said.

"But I'm actually happy that I tried to ride at Malaysia because it helped me discover that the problem with the shoulder was bigger than we thought."

The latest news continues an injury-strewn previous few months for the 2006 title winner.

He broke his wrist in the Valencia Grand Prix in November and shattered two ribs and a shoulder blade during a training accident in Kentucky shortly after Christmas.

Hayden continued: "Setbacks are a part of life and a part of MotoGP, so we'll deal with it and do everything possible to get back on the bike in good condition as soon as possible."

The first race of the new season will take place at the desert circuit of Losail in Qatar on 8 April 2012.

2006 MotoGP Champ Hayden Injured

Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has broken two ribs and a shoulder blade during a training accident in Kentucky.

The American suffered the injuries near his home in Owensboro and has since had x-rays, a CAT scan and an MRI.

Ducati confirmed that no surgery has been scheduled but that the 30-year-old rider would have the fractures assessed in California next week.

"Injuries are never good but it's part of motorcycle racing," Hayden said.

"I was starting to train again, like I normally do during the winter, at a private track near my house. I came up behind another rider, and he went to move out of the way.

"I wasn't going that fast, but he clipped my front wheel and I went down and landed pretty hard on my left shoulder, and that was it."

Hayden, who became MotoGP world champion in 2006, had been training for the first time since breaking his wrist during the Valencia Grand Prix in November.

The first race of the new season will take place at the desert circuit of Losail in Qatar on 8 April 2012.