By blue2bikes
June 24 2006

With so many top flight riders injured in last Sunday’s turn one accident at Catalunya, it was all change at the top during qualifying today in readiness for tomorrow’s race - with John Hopkins aboard his Rizla Suzuki getting his first pole of the season. Rossi only spent enough time on the track to qualify for the race - with his broken hand giving him problems - completing only four laps this morning and then coming out for the qualifying session, retiring ten minutes from the end of the session, but giving himself a grid position of 18th.

Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards was blocked during his flying lap and will start in third position - but will most certainly be one of the favourites for a race win tomorrow, with Yamaha having already stated that they want Colin to obtain podium positions now they have a new chassis, and everything should be there for Colin to put himself on the podium.

Loris Capirossi was clearly having problems after crashing out last week, and suffering chest injuries. He was gasping for air during qualifying, and will find it hard to complete the full race distance. Marco Melandri, who was also injured last week in the same incident, put in a great performance to gain a seventh position start.

Dani Pedrosa will want a good result here, as will Chris Vermeulen, Carlos Checa and Alex Hofmann - who replaces the injured Sete Gibernau; not forgetting John Hopkins, who will want to prove his pole position placing.

Can Rossi really gain back what he has lost during qualifying is anyone’s guess, as only he knows what he can and can’t do. Having already stated that he needs to be on the podium every round from now on, he has gained some astounding results in the past when everyone has written him off.

Nicky Hayden is fully fit and the current championship leader with a twenty point lead on Loris Capirossi, and 29 points over Rossi, and will almost certainly capitalise on this from the off. Being fully fit and wanting to win the championship - with Rossi starting from the back of the grid with it all to do, and Capirossi struggling in qualifying - will spur Nicky on when the lights change tomorrow.

Qualifying drid for Dutch TT Assen:
1 John Hopkins, Suzuki
2 Shin’ya Nakano, Kawasaki
3 Colin Edwards, Yamaha
4 Nicky Hayden, Honda
5 Dani Pedrosa, Honda
6 Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki
7 Marco Melandri, Honda
8 Carlos Checa, Yamaha
9 Alex Hofmann, Ducati
10 Kenny Roberts, Proton-Honda
11 Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki
12 Casey Stoner, Honda
13 Makoto Tamada, Honda
14 James Ellison, Yamaha
15 Loris Capirossi, Ducati
16 José Luís Cardoso, Ducati
17 Iván Silva, Ducati
18 Valentino Rossi, Yamaha