MotoGP: Dovizioso pips Marquez to pole at Czech Grand Prix

Prague, August 4: Andrea Dovizioso qualified fastest at the Czech Republic Grand Prix to deny Marc Marquez pole position in his 100th MotoGP race.

World champion and season leader Marquez was chasing a 49th pole - a third in a row - as he brings up a century of races and looked to have done enough when he claimed top spot late in Q2.

It might not be pole, but @ValeYellow46 looks happy enough with second on the grid 👏

The Doctor loves a wheelie 🙌#CzechGP pic.twitter.com/iOITC0Zej5
— MotoGP™🇨🇿🏁 (@MotoGP) August 4, 2018

Jorge Lorenzo put down the early marker, but Marquez was the first rider to go round in under one minutes and 55 seconds with his final lap.

Dovizioso was still out on the track, though, and he flew across the finish line to move to the summit, with Valentino Rossi, previously slow, also going faster than Marquez.

#MotoGP Qualifying 🏁@AndreaDovizioso snatches pole at the very last! 👊@ValeYellow46 sneaks into second on his final lap, just ahead of @marcmarquez93 in third!#CzechGP pic.twitter.com/5dJGsDaJvy
— MotoGP™🇨🇿🏁 (@MotoGP) August 4, 2018

Lorenzo was pushed off the front row, while Marquez insisted he was happy to qualify in third.

"For one lap, I knew it would be difficult," he told BT Sport. The target was to be on the front row. On race pace, we [himself and Dovizioso] are very similar."

Here's the grid for tomorrow's #MotoGP race ⏱

1️⃣ @AndreaDovizioso
2️⃣ @ValeYellow46
3️⃣ @marcmarquez93 #CzechGP 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/Q6teWwB4nv
— MotoGP™🇨🇿🏁 (@MotoGP) August 4, 2018

Provisional classification:

1. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati): 1:54.689secs 2. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha): 1:54.956s 3. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda): 1:54.961s 4. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati): 1:55.038s 5. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda): 1:55.055s 6. Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac): 1:55.203s 7. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3): 1:55.221s 8. Andrea Iannone (Suzuki Ecstar): 1:55.270s 9. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar): 1:55.431s 10. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): 1:55.474s