Roberts on GP pole

Kenny Roberts has taken his Suzuki GSV-R to a surprise pole position for the start of the Rio GP.

Sete Gibernau set the fastest time in the first qualifying session on Friday and he stayed the man to be through the final session on Saturday, despite being the only rider not to improve his time.

As usual the pace lept up considerably in the closing seconds of the final session as all the riders tried to set the best time. But with just seconds to go Roberts lept up the the leaderboard to take pole by 0.154 seconds over second placed man Max Biaggi on the Camel Honda.

Repsol Honda man Nicki Hayden stormed in to third place to finish the front row of Sunday’s grid, with Gibernau demoted to the second row with the fourth fastest time.

Alex Barros and Loris Capirossi finished the second row with Makato Tamada, Valentino Rossi and Shinya Nakano making up the third row.

Neil Hodgson starts the race in 19th, two places behind his D’Antin Ducati team-mate Ruben Xaus.