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Stoner on pole

Ducati rider Casey Stoner maintained his form to secure pole position for the Valencia Grand Prix on the final weekend of the FIM MotoGP World Championship season.

The Australian clocked the fastest lap of one minute 32.256 seconds at the final event of the season in Spain.

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was second fastest ahead of Spanish compatriot Jorge Lorenzo with Lorenzo’s Yamaha team-mate and world champion Valentino Rossi in fourth.

Rossi clinched his second successive MotoGP title in Malaysia and his ninth motorcycling championship overall.

Stoner, who missed three races with illness before returning last month to win at Phillip Island and in Malaysia, is currently third in the championship standings on 220 points.

He trails Lorenzo in second by 25 points with Pedrosa fourth on 209.

Stoner, who won the race from pole last year and also set the lap record, moved to the top of the standings just eight minutes into the session and only Lorenzo ever threatened to challenge him.

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