Spanish Pol No.1 on grid for the Brit GP

MOTOGP

POL ESPARGARO said he felt like a winner after grabbing pole in qualifying ahead of today’s British MotoGP at Silverstone.

The Spaniard (above) picked up Repsol Honda’s first pole of the season with a 1min 58.889sec lap in a confusion-hit final 30 seconds of qualifying, as Jorge Martin initially registered the fastest time.

Martin’s name remained at the top of the timesheets until race chiefs cancelled his lap for cutting a corner – reinstating a delighted Espargaro at the top.

“I’m just celebrating as if I won the race,” he said.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow starts from 19th.

ATHLETICS

DINA ASHER-SMITH finished third at the Diamond League meeting in Paris – as Florence Griffith-Joyner’s women’s world 100m record was again under attack.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson Herah burst to the lead by the 10m mark and ran away to win in 10.72.

Fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the Tokyo bronze winner, finished second with Brit AsherSmith (right) third.

CYCLING

ROMAIN BARDET won stage 14 of the Vuelta a Espana with a commanding performance in the Sierra de Villuercas mountains.

The Frenchman, who crashed on stage three to put him out of contention in the general classification, said: “It’s been a long wait. It means a lot. I’ve been second too many times,”

Christian Eiking retains the overall lead from Guillaume Martin with reigning champion and race favourite Primoz Roglic in third.