Pichon in control despite dust-up at Uddevalla.

World champion Mickael Pichon took pole position for the Grand Prix of Sweden, round seven of the 2003 Motocross GP World Championship, despite a little bit of last-minute bother with title rival Joel Smets.

The factory 250cc two-stroke Suzuki rider was the only man to dip under the two-minute barrier, recording a 1min 59secs flat towards the end of the session, and was heading for another flyer in the final stages before tangling with KTM rider Smets and sending both riders into the mud. A few heated words were exchanged and the Frenchman's chance of setting an even quicker pole time was gone.

Smets had already put himself into third, as the top four riders in the championship standings filled the leading positions on the timing sheets respectively. Yamaha's Stefan Everts had been fastest until Pichon's effort, but seemed content with second pick in the starting gate, just a second behind the double 250cc number one.

Denmark's Brian Jorgensen assumed his fourth position in front of Claudio Federici in a close but wet 30-minute qualifying period. Under skies that swung between dark grey and clear blue, the Motocross GP chrono took place during a light downpour that made the already rough racetrack fairly slippery.

Three seconds covered the top eleven riders that ranked Marnicq Bervoets in sixth, ahead of Manuel Monni, Kenneth Gundersen, Patrick Caps, Jamie Dobb and Yoshi Atsuta.

Marc de Reuver was in fine form for the first 125cc qualifying heat, and overtook Andrea Bartolini and early moto leader Ben Townley to claim victory in the 20-minute and two-lap event, for pole position. The Dutchman had been quick in the free practice period and, providing he takes a decent start tomorrow, will be a firm contender for his second GP win of the season and career.

Bartolini scored second place ahead of Ramon, who completed an outing with some errors but still managed to pip Townley for third. The young New Zealander set a good pace in the formative stages, but suffered as the laps counted down. His lack of race fitness and practice likely to hinder the 2002 125cc Swedish GP winner but, after two months out of action due to wrist surgery, any points come the end of Sunday morning will be seen as progress. Alessio Chiodi, still recovering from his own wrist problems, was fifth.

World champion Mickael Maschio followed de Reuver's example, and swept aside Erik Eggens to front the second qualification race this afternoon. The Kawasaki man prevented the two Dutchmen and factory KTM team-mates from taking the first two positions in the gate, while Stefan Everts worked his way from a slow start to also relegate Eggens. Marvin van Daele was fourth for his highest heat result of the year, but was closely chased by holeshotter Thomas Traversini and Stephen Sword.

Cedric Melotte secured his first ever pole position after topping proceedings in 650 qualifying. The Belgian guided his Honda to a lap half a second faster than championship leader and winner of every GP so far this season in the class, Joel Smets, who had calmed down sufficiently from his run-in with Pichon to steer the larger KTM to second place. In third was the final part of the regular podium trio, Javier Garcia Vico. Antti Pyrhonen was almost two seconds behind Melotte's pole effort in fourth, while Britain's Mark Eastwood achieved his best GP qualification spot of the year in fifth.