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MotoGP Misano: Fernandez denies Lowes Moto2 pole

Sam Lowes was on track for his 17th Moto2 pole in the San Marino GP before KTM’s Raul Fernandez spoilt his plans with his penultimate lap.

The title challenger secured his own celebrations to head the grid for the fifth time in his rookie year while Elf Marc VDS were left to enjoy a double front row thanks to Lowes and Augusto Fernandez in second and third.

Jake Dixon was back in action as Q1 got going on Saturday afternoon. The threatening rain, so far  yet to make its presence felt in the first 15 minute session.

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Bo Bendsneyder was the first to register a time, and with it the quickest of the first attempts, as the opening laps came in, Dixon sitting fourth and on the edge of promotion. It was a position he consolidated next time around as Hector Garzo, Joe Roberts and Hafizh Syahrin took over ahead.

The Brit was down in 12th, however, after the fourth revolutions. Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Celestino Vietti, Garzo and Yari Montella now in contention for Q2 with Simone Corsi and Albert Arenas narrowly adrift. Dixon made another attempt for promotion with a 1’38.769, the lap sitting him briefly back in fourth before he dropped to sixth as Vietti advanced the pace with a 38 dead.

The rain arrived with five minutes to go and the action tailed off accordingly. Vietti, Dalla Porta, Roberts and Tom Luthi secured the spoils with Syahrin and Dixon unlucky to miss out on the fringes.

A tentative start to the final shootout saw the top 18 attempt to analyse the conditions after the showers dissipated. Aron Canet heading the times with his first lap from Raul Fernandez and Fabio Di Giannantonio before Marco Bezzecchi took over at the top.

Italian control continued at the home track as Di Giannantonio advanced the pace but the KTMs were never too far away. Fernandez setting a 1’37.055 to take the standings on his third attempt.

Remy Gardner was the first to enter the 1’36’s as the session continued, seven-tenths shy of the circuit best and with six minutes left on the clock. Augusto Fernandez displacing his namesake in third as his Marc VDS teammate advanced to sixth. Lowes was on a charge as the mid-session developed, finding pace and the provisional pole with his sixth lap of the afternoon. A 1’36.749 now the time to beat.

Jorge Navarro and Canet battled for the front row with two minutes to go, the Aspar rider winning out for third with a heart-stopping save at turn three next time around. Fernandez was the next to strike, joining his Elf teammate on the front for a Marc VDS one-two as the flag prepared to fly.

It was the KTM rookie, however, who would arrive to steal the show in the closing seconds as Fernandez claimed the pole with a 1’36.264. Gardner Canet and Navarro completed row two with Xavi Vierge, Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio completing the top nine.

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