Lorenzo on pole for Dutch MotoGP

Jorge Lorenzo of Spain set himself up to extend his championship lead after grabbing pole position in dominating qualifying for the Dutch MotoGP on Friday.

The Dutch grand prix is the sixth race in the world championship and is held on the 4.542km Assen circuit, where Lorenzo will be the victory favourite in the continued absence of Italian ace Valentino Rossi, who has broken his leg.

Frenchman Randy de Puniet finished second in qualifying on a Honda, with Australia's former world champion Casey Stoner third on a Ducati in a tight qualifying session that saw the top ten inside a second.

After pushing Stoner off provisional top spot with a seventh lap effort, Lorenzo then had to push his Yamaha even harder in a bid to beat a time by De Puniet that had provisionally given the Frenchman pole position.

In the absence of Rossi, a six-time world champion in MotoGP, 23-year-old Lorenzo is now the over-riding favourite for the championship.

His victory at Silverstone last week, his third in five races - which have also included two runner-up spots - took his points tally to 115.

Italian Andrea Dovizioso is second on 78 and Spaniard Dani Pedrosa is third on 73.