Dani Pedrosa to start German MotoGP despite collarbone fracture

MARC Marquez has clinched MotoGP pole position for the German GP as championship leader Dani Pedrosa missed qualifying after crashing in practice.

SPAIN'S Marc Marquez clinched the MotoGP pole position for the German Grand Prix as his compatriot and championship leader Dani Pedrosa missed the qualifying after crashing in Saturday's free practice.

Pedrosa was examined in a nearby hospital but later said he intends to race despite a hairline fracture in his collarbone. Pedrosa would be able to start from 12th place because of his results in practice. He crashed in the third practice.

Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo will miss the race after crashing on Friday and having to undergo new surgery on his left shoulder.

Lorenzo broke his left collarbone two weeks ago at the Assen GP in the Netherlands and fell on the same shoulder, bending the titanium plate in the shoulder.

Marquez earned his third pole on a Honda, ahead of Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow of Britain and Yamaha's Valentino Rossi of Italy. The Spaniard clocked 1 minute, 21.311 seconds.

Crutchlow crashed twice on Friday and raced with a taped right hand but will start from the front row for the third race in succession.

"Yesterday was my worst day in MotoGP,'' Crutchlow said. "I am feeling week, it's great to be in the front row.''

Nine-time champion Rossi is in the front row for the first time since the Portuguese Grand Prix of 2010.

"I am very pleased, I was fast, but it's going to be close,'' Rossi said.

There have been more than 30 crashes in two days of racing on the Sachsenring, a rare counterclockwise circuit with 10 left bends and only three right curves.