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MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo takes record pole in San Marino

Jorge Lorenzo returned to form in style by taking a record-breaking pole in the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano on Saturday.

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Jorge Lorenzo returned to form by taking a record-breaking pole in the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano on Saturday.

The Movistar Yamaha rider claimed he does not care about the world championship title after securing only one top-seven finish in his last six races to sit 64 points adrift of leader Marc Marquez.

World champion Lorenzo gave himself a great chance of getting back on top of the podium on Sunday by clocking a quickest ever lap of one minute, 31 seconds at the Adriatic venue to move one ahead of Marquez and Valentino Rossi in the all-time list of Moto GP poles with 64.

Lorenzo's team-mate Rossi will start in second spot on home soil courtesy of a time of 1:32.216, with Suzuki's Maverick Vinales nipping in to claim third on the grid.

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Championship leader Marquez will start back in fourth place, unable to pick up the pace in the second half of Q2 as Lorenzo stole the show in more favoured sunny conditions.

Michele Pirro, taking the ride for Ducati after Andrea Iannone was unable to race due to injury, will start on the second row in fifth place ahead of team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

Cal Crutchlow was seventh-fastest, while Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro finished in the top 10.

The crowd came to back Rossi, but Lorenzo broke the track record last year and bettered that mark to deny Rossi pole in front of his expectant fans.

Provisional classification: 

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1. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) 1:31.868secs 2. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 1:32.216s  3. Maverick Vinales (Suzuki Ecstar) 1:32.281s  4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 1:32.443s  5. Michele Pirro (Ducati) 1:32.467s  6. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 1:32.677s  7. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) 1:32.743s 8. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1:32.859 9. Aleix Espargaro  (Suzuki Ecstar) 1:32.918s  10. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 1:33.002s

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