LUCO DI MUGELLO: Italy's nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi will start on pole for Sunday's Italian MotoGP at Mugello after topping qualifying times.

It will be the Yamaha rider's 63rd pole of his career and 53rd in MotoGP.

Rossi will line up in the first row with Spaniard Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) and fellow Italian Andrea Iannone (Ducati).

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2016