Moto Gp: Gibernau Set Fair

Sete Gibernau took pole position for the Italian Grand Prix as Ducati delighted their home fans at Mugello with a one-two in qualifying. Gibernau snatched top spot late in the one-hour qualifying session, with his lap of one minute, 48.969seconds withstanding a late assault from his rivals.

The Spaniard lines up at the front of the grid today alongside Ducati Marlboro colleague Loris Capirossi, who is second in the championship by just four points and was 0.089sec slower than Gibernau.

World champion Valentino Rossi, sporting a new-look helmet for his home race, looked set to pip the Ducati pair to pole after a blistering start to his final flying lap. But the Camel Yamaha rider lost time in the final corner and had to make do with third.

Championship leader Nicky Hayden lines up fourth on his Repsol Honda, with Shinya Nakano producing another fine qualifying display to take fifth.