World champion motorcyle racer Casey Stoner has seized his first pole position of the season at the Portuguese MotoGP in Estoril by beating Spain's Dani Pedrosa in a fiercely contested qualifying session.
The Australian also prevented MotoGP leader Jorge Lorenzo from grabbing his third consecutive pole position of the season after the Spaniard was the fastest in the season-opener in Qatar and last weekend in Jerez.
Lorenzo finished fourth in qualifying behind third-placed British rider Cal Crutchlow.