Italian rider Marco Simoncelli was delighted with his first pole position after heading off Casey Stoner in qualifying.

(CNN) -- Marco Simoncelli hopes he has put his Le Mans nightmare behind him after earning the first pole position of his top-level motorcycling career in Spain on Saturday. 


The Italian rider was reprimanded by MotoGP chiefs following an incident in France two weeks ago that caused Dani Pedrosa to crash and miss his home race after breaking his collarbone.


Simoncelli reportedly received death threats following that collision, which resulted in the 24-year-old finishing fifth after being hit with a ride-through penalty, having been denied his first podium placing. "This is the best way to forget what happened in Le Mans and what everyone has been saying in the last two weeks, and before this race," he said after qualifying first for Sunday's Catalunya Grand Prix near Barcelona.

Pedrosa crash overshadows Stoner's French MotoGP success


Simoncelli headed off Le Mans winner Casey Stoner and Yamaha's world champion and series leader Jorge Lorenzo as he set a late lap of one minute 42.413 seconds.


Stoner had led for the entire session but was denied his fourth pole position from five attempts this season as he bids to cut Lorenzo's 12-point advantage.


"I'm very satisfied and happy. I didn't expect it because Stoner was faster than me in the other sessions and today we had some problems in the first part of qualifying, but after we chose the right tire for me I could push like I wanted and got this time," Simoncelli said.


American Ben Spies will lead the second row on the grid from Honda's Andrea Dovizioso and fellow Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow, while seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi was seventh ahead of Ducati teammate Nicky Hayden of the U.S.