Biaggi's Marlboro missile blasts to Brno pole!

Brno ace Max Biaggi finally broke Honda's stranglehold on the Czech Republic Grand Prix by snatching the top spot from the grasp of Daijiro Kato by just 0.094secs to claim the YZR-M1's second ever pole. While an unusually off pace Valentino Rossi was left third fastest, just ahead of on-form Garry McCoy.

However, for much of the session it looked as though Kato would be the king of qualifying - the tiny Japanese rider having controlled the session in commanding style from the word go - until in the dying minutes the Roman Emperor pinned his Marlboro Yamaha's throttle and threw it to the top of the times, claiming a new lap record in the process.

Although Rossi had set the pace from his countryman Biaggi yesterday, it had been Kato who dominated the latter half of the session in his first ride on a Honda RC211V. In fact, the Japanese had only lost out to the two Italians on their last lap runs, when he had been left helpless to defend his provisional pole time after an overly long tyre change by the Gresini team on the unfamiliar machine.

Morning practice had again seen Kato underline his ability by putting the #74 machine fastest, by 0.4secs, from countryman Ukawa, with the excellent Jeremy McWilliams third (and top two stroke) while Loris Capirossi claimed fourth, with provisional pole sitter Rossi sixth.

However, today's all-important second session was likely to be a different story, with Rossi certain to show his hand only in the final seconds when it counts, while Brno ace Biaggi couldn't be discounted as he chases the first YZR-M1 pole.

Within minutes of the session starting, Kato signalled his pole intentions by going faster than his best from yesterday - on his first hot lap - then followed that up with an even better effort next time around that stole pole from Rossi by 0.052secs, the fight was on.

The rest of the field were slower to find their speed, and with Kato having returned to the pits it was left to Tohru Ukawa, Loris Capirossi and Regis Laconi to keep the crowd entertained, although neither troubled the top of the times.

By the halfway stage, less than half of the MotoGP riders had improved on their best from yesterday, with Kato ahead of Rossi, Biaggi and Ukawa. The provisional polesitter himself was sitting both at the top of the timing screens and in the Gresini pits, as he sipped calmly from his drinks bottle and conferred with his Engineers before his next run.

Kato's pulse was raised minutes later when Biaggi guided his Marlboro livered missile to pole by 0.187secs - and thereby became the first rider to dip under the 2mins mark, with his time of 1mins 59.9secs, while teammate Checa crept to fourth fastest.

The tiny Japanese star was eager to quell the Yamaha rebellion however, and Honda pride was restored seconds later when he punched out a lap just 0.063secs faster than the Italian's.

The competition had less than 20minutes to respond to Kato's charge, and all eyes were soon turning to the Repsol Honda pits as yet-to-improve Rossi walked out into the bright Brno pitlane, stretched his leathers, then climbed aboard his growling RCV.

The Doctor lapped the Czech circuit lazily for three or four laps - without ever troubling his best from yesterday, before returning to the pits, indicating that the young Italian was testing his set-up, while by contrast teammate Ukawa was sliding in all directions as he tested his spare Honda's new 'Ram Air' system.

Both Kato and Rossi returned to action at the 10mins to go mark, with the Japanese once again going faster than ever before, as he pushed pole a further 0.119secs out of reach. Kato then swung smartly into the pits for his last tyre change of the session - the Gresini team clearly having learnt from yesterday, and giving themselves a little longer to swap the rear wheel.

Meanwhile, Rossi was already out on track - but still not troubling Kato's pace, indeed with just over 5mins to go he was lapping barely within 1sec of pole position.

Instead it was Biaggi, already destined to leave the works Yamaha team at the end of the year, who put up the biggest fight for the front row starting slot, and the Roman was just 0.009secs up on Kato's best as he headed into the final sector.... The Marlboro Yamaha man kept the throttle pinned and snatched the top spot by 0.094secs as the final few seconds clicked away.

Also strong was Garry McCoy, who having used the mid-season break to rebuild his strength, sensationally put his two-stroke Yamaha onto the outside of the front row soon after, on a day when it was announced that the Red Bull team will run RCV engines in a new chassis next year.

But Rossi had reached the end of the road, having pulled into the pits too late for his team to change his rear tyre. "We worked for the race today, because yesterday we had some problems. I stopped too late to use the second soft tyre, but I'm on the front row near Biaggi and Kato so its not so bad," he said.

Back on track and the final seconds proved to be a strangely quiet, with Kato, for once, unable to improve on his best efforts to date, but will start a promising second between the two Italians while McCoy held on to an excellent fourth to be top two stroke in front of an equally impressive Capirossi, who overshadowed his teammate Alex Barros convincingly on his MotoGP return - the Brazilian finished just tenth.

Full results to follow...

1. Biaggi
2. Kato
3. Rossi
4. McCoy
5. Capirossi
6. Checa
7. Hopkins
8. Ukawa