Lorenzo, who faces an especially stiff challenge to keep his perfect podium record intact on Sunday rain or not, will be joined on row two by Repsol Honda's
Dani Pedrosa and Rizla Suzuki's
Loris Capirossi.
Pedrosa, tied with Lorenzo at the top of the championship, led the session several times before the introduction of qualifying tyres, while Capirossi enjoyed by far his best qualifying session yet on a GSV-R.
Rookie
James Toseland will start from seventh place after making clear progress at a circuit he has never ridden before, whilst Capirossi's team-mate
Chris Vermeulen, Honda LCR's
Randy de Puniet and Repsol Honda's
Nicky Hayden completed the top ten.
de Puniet and Hayden both fell this afternoon, perhaps whilst pushing to overcome the relative lack of top speed from the spring-valve Honda - while Kawasaki's
John Hopkins lost the front after going over the edge of even his extreme lean angles and will start 14th on the grid.
Hopkins' team-mate
Anthony West again faired even worse, qualifying 18th and last, but there was better news for
Marco Melandri, whose twelfth place on the grid marks his best qualifying performance on a Desmosedici
Qualifying:
1. Edwards
2. Rossi
3. Stoner
4. Lorenzo
5. Pedrosa
6. Capirossi
7. Toseland
8. Vermeulen
9. de Puniet
10. Hayden
11. Dovizioso
12. Melandri
13. Nakano
14. Hopkins
15. Elias
16. de Angelis
17. Guintoli
18. West
