Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa snatched his first pole of the season at the French MotoGP at Le Mans from Yamaha Tech 3's Colin Edwards while Briton James Toseland just missed out on the second row.

Championship leader Pedrosa stormed round in 1:32.647 in the final minute of the qualifying hour to take the foremost position from Toseland's impressive team-mate, who clocked 1:32.774, while Ducati Marlboro's world champion Casey Stoner (1:32.994) completed the front row with the only other sub-1:33.

Toseland (1:33.396) battled well to earn seventh position on the grid behind five-times world title-winner Valentino Rossi (1:33.157) of Fiat Yamaha, the Italian's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo (1:33.269) and another former world champ in Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden (1:33.286).

"You've got to keep it smooth in order to keep the lap times down," two-times World Superbike champion Toseland, still feeling his way in MotoGP in his rookie season, said after the race. "These things [bikes] don't turn the corner.

"I hope it's dry tomorrow morning because there's enough to worry about with getting the bike set up.

"We're in the front group and are pretty pleased with that."

Chris Vermeulen (1:33.440) and John Hopkins (1:33.628) are alongside the South Yorkshireman, with Andrea Dovizioso (1:33.689), Loris Capirossi (1:33.707) and Randy De Puniet (1:33.723) behind them.

Rookie Lorenzo, who tumbled from his machine in both Friday afternoon practice and the Saturday morning run-out, bounced back to remain close to championship rival and Spanish compatriot Pedrosa. Only seven points separate them.

However it was not all good news for him again as he left the track at one point and travelled through a gravel trap before bouncing the bike back on to the circuit further up; then later lost his racing line and went off down an unused road, forcing him to dismount and turn the machine around.

American Edwards, fastest in the morning practice and at the summit of the timing lists for almost the entire final 20 minutes, was first to break the 1:33 barrier as Toseland moved to fifth with 10 minutes remaining.

However Pedrosa took top spot with a sterling effort on his final attempt after Stoner thought he had won second position with a flying lap and late efforts from struggling American Hayden and Rossi shoved Toseland off the second row.

Pedrosa's pole position was the first of the season for tyre makers Bridgestone.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport