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MotoGP: Zarco on pole, ahead of Quartararo, France in force in Czechia

Johann Zarco continues his perfect weekend on the asphalt in Brno, Czech Republic. The French, very competitive during practice, even paid the luxury this Saturday in qualifying to steal pole position from the strong man of the moment, the other French, Fabio Quartararo.

Still adapting to the handlebars of his Ducati-Avintia, Zarco got the better of his compatriot (Yamaha-SRT), who fell while trying to regain the lead on his last lap. No two French people had ever taken the start of a race in the first places in the premier class.

Franco Morbidelli, Quartararo’s Italian team-mate, will share the front row with the two French on Sunday at 2 p.m. The second row will be occupied by three Spaniards, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), Maverick Vinales (Yamaha), main competitor of “Quarta” in the rider standings, and Pol Espargaro (KTM).

A 200th podium for Rossi?

Also note the presence in tenth position of the Italian Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), who can conquer his 200th podium among the elite this weekend, after getting back on the box for the first time in fifteen months two weeks in Spain. A big disappointment, however, for the Italian Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), who will only start from 18th place on the grid. We expected better from the current third in the drivers’ standings, winner at the Czech circuit in Brno in 2018 and second in 2019.The reigning champion, Spaniard Marc Marquez (Honda), is forfeited after being operated on Monday from a fracture of the right humerus and replaced by the German Stefan Bradl.

This sixth pole in MotoGP comes after a complicated 2019 for Zarco, who separated from KTM in the middle of the season for lack of results. After a freelance with Honda-LCR at the end of the year, the 30-year-old rider regained a starting place in 2020 with the modest Ducati-Avintia team, which had never before known the honors of pole, with the goal of conquering a better bike next year from the Italian brand.

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