| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
I'm of two minds over Stoner's leaving... and I agree that his press announcement sounded an awful lot like "Since you don't want to play my way, I'm taking my marbles and going home." At least Stoner got to test himself against the greatest rider of his generation. It seems like just as Lorenzo is taking his measure, however, he's going to bail. I won't miss him one bit... but I'm sure the question over who is the better rider on equal machinery will be nagging the back of Lorenzo's mind for the rest of his (hopefully) long career. | ||
| Gaesati |
Lorenzo: fast but fragile. Stoner:..fast | ||
| Svh |
Seriously starting to believe this will be the last year Ben is in MotoGP. At the very least with Yamaha. Bad year to slump with the Tech 3 guys doing well. Hopefully he falls to WSBK and not all the way back to AMA or BSB. Was nice to see Rossi up there dicing it up again. Plus now he gets to say he beat the weekend the Ausie announced his retirement. | ||
| Jaimec |
Lorenzo looks effortless on the bike. Stoner always looks like he's wrestling it and beating it into submission. I wish I knew what the heck was going on with Ben. He looks AWFUL out there lately! He was SUPPOSED to feel more "at home" and comfortable with the 1000ccs, but he's looking absolutely LOST. | ||
| Gaesati |
it appears that when the bikes can't operate at the edge of their envelope then sheer riding talent reasserts itself. Stoner and Lorenzo are, as usual, untouchable but Rossi showed he still has what it takes by dispatching Pedrosa, Hayden and Spies and forcing the only other two real contenders to fall off in an attempt to match him. That said, the most interesting championship for me this year will be the the one fought out in the Tech 3 team. I'd also have to say that Hector Barbera seems to plod along on his ducati getting gradually better and just applying himself to his task. I wonder how he would go on a less demanding bike? I wonder if an all CRT series would even things out or merely accentuate the superiority of the top two or three riders? | ||
| Trojan |
I hope it rains for the rest fo the races this year  At least it makes the race more 'interesting'. I won't go so far aas to say exciting, because Lorenzo was never going to lose this race once he got in front on the first lap and never looked threatened all day. A superb lesson in smooth wet weather riding all the same. The battle for 2nd place was made a lot more exciting by the presence of Rossi once more, but even he knows that the weather had far more to do with that than any improvement in the bike, and next week we will be back to the status quo with him and Nicky fighting for 10th place. Some incidents had a certain inevitability about them. I pretty much knew that Cal would chuck it away at the first chicane at some point, simply because he was so much quicker into that corner than everyone else trying to make up time he lost on the straights. At least he got back on and scored points, and more importantly both Tech3 riders fell in separate incidents, as I was worried again that they would take each other out during the race. Herve Poncheral looked decidedly ill on the pit wall for most of the race! Ben Spies suffered once more from the 'misting visor', which is pretty unbelievable at this level of sport. There are plenty of visor clearing solutions around these days, from Pinlock visors to old home remedies, so to stop a million dollar bike because of a club racing problem is surely not on these days. He should change his helmet or sort out a solution once and for all. He wasn't the only rider to suffer though during the race, as both Valentino Rossi and Chris Vermuelen both had some vision issues. Rossi solved his by opening his vsior slightly (the age old cure) and continued to finish second, while Vermeulen retired from the race. I suspect that Vermuelen retired more through being race unfit than through vision problems though. The other side of the Yamaha garage seem to manage very well regardless of weather, and I'm sure it hasn't enamoured ben to Yamaha heirarchy any more than his other poor performances this year. It sadly seems almost a forgone conclusion that he will not be riding for them next season, so the battle between Crutchlow and Dovi at Tech 3 is sure to get a lot less friendly by the middle of the season in their efforts to grab the tantalisingly semi-available second factory Yamaha seat next year.. Both Moto3 and Moto2 were the usual wet weather crash fest, but good to see Luthi win a race and Scott Redding get on the box again (Message edited by trojan on May 21, 2012) | ||
| Gaesati |
Yes, I was cheering for Luthi as well. Although conditions weren't quite as bad it's interesting that there were far fewer fallers in Motogp. | ||
| Trojan |
Although conditions weren't quite as bad it's interesting that there were far fewer fallers in Motogp. I think that is due to a number of factors, not least of which is elecronics that can be 'dialled in' to wet weather settings in MotoGP. Moto2 has no such luxury so the only thing you can do is soften suspension and hope for the best. In the Moto2 race people were still backing into corners in soaking conditions, simply because their electronics are fixed and they have only a very basic slipper clutch fitted. Watching Johann Zarco was edge of the seat stuff lap after lap just waiting for the front to fold (which of course it eventually did)! Add to that youthful exuberence and lack of experience and you have a recipe for a crash laden race in both Moto3 and Moto2. Luthi rode brilliantly and controlled the race from the front, so thoroughly deserved his win. He is a very much underrated rider by commentators but is seen as one of the biggest threats by other riders. I think we will deservedly see him in MotoGP next year Likewise Corti and Redding weren't the fastest men on the track but rode a mature sensible race in the conditions. | ||
| Jaimec |
http://www.cycleworld.com/2012/05/21/kevin-schwant z-on-casey-stoner/ | ||
| Jaimec |
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/817/13187/Motorcycle -Article/Casey-Stoner---A-Personal-Appreciation.as px | ||
| Bads1 |
So what Jaime are we suppose to show pity ??? Its a business.... he knows this. He says Ducati treat him badly.... the press treat him badly...... now we here how he was treated growing up??? I'd give my left nah nah to be able to have had a chance doing what he is doing. I don't feel bad for him. Sorry if there is something I missed please help change my mind. | ||
| Imonabuss |
Casey wants to retire, and he certainly has the right to make that choice. His accomplishments deserve respect. Anyone who criticizes him deserves the pity, because they are lesser men for that. | ||
| Simond |
I think the point was that it is Stoner that is fragile, not Lorenzo. | ||
| Trojan |
Casey wants to retire, and he certainly has the right to make that choice. His accomplishments deserve respect. Anyone who criticizes him deserves the pity, because they are lesser men for that. Nobody is criticising Stoner on his decision to retire, that is up to him. However I think people are entitiled to have a valid opinion about a very well paid public 'sporting' figure for his attitude to the fans, press and other riders/teams during his career. He chose to get involved in a high profile sport that involves sponsor events, the press and most importantly the fans. If he didn't want to step up and treat them with respect then he shouldn't expect respect in return, regardless of his racing accomplishments, which nobody can deny. Sport by its very nature should always involve a degree of Sportsmanship, and the champions that are most remembered are those that accomplish sporting success with sportsmanship and 'character'. Stoner has been a great raceer but a poor sport unfortunately. | ||
| Jaimec |
We have a winner! | ||
| Jaimec |
A good article on the Doctor at LeMans (from someone who wasn't there): http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/trackside-v alentino-rossi-french-gp/ | ||
| Vagelis46 |
There is no way , this is the last year for Spies in motoGP. Unless he had enough of the pressure in motoGP and he chooses WSBK , or another carreer. There are cuurent riders in motoGP with less than half of Spies results. Maybe there will not be a factory moto for him, but I am sure many satelite rides will be available. Spies was very unlucky this year, but remember last year ?? He had bad results at the start of the season as well..... | ||
| Trojan |
There is no way , this is the last year for Spies in motoGP. Who knows? If the Yamaha bosses lose patience with him then where will he go? Honda are overflowing with potential riders even with the loss of Stoner. Yamaha are in a similar position and Ducati would be a very big risk for Ben. That just leaves satellite teamns, and even they have a glut of riders at the moment, or CRT. Tech 3 already have Bradley Smith signed for next year and have Dovi and Crutchlow to choose from (both ahead of Ben right now), and both LCR and Gresini seem reasonably pleased with their current pilots, although Bautista would seem to be the most obvious choce to go. Going to a satellite Ducati team just isn't going to happen, which doesn't leave an awful lot on the table. I really can't see Ben wanting to go back to a satellite team and certainly not to a CRT outfit at this stage of his career, as he isn't in the same situation as Colin Edwards and still has more years left at the top IF he can find a good team. He may yet stay at factory Yamaha and the rumours may just be unfounded, but given the the fact that there are currently more good riders than good rides, and considering his current lack of form, I can't see it. There is a lot of fuss about Stoner leaving and throwing the rider market into confusion, but I think it is all bluster. HRC have their eyes firmly set on Marc Marquez (as does Repsol, who hold the purse strings for Honda)and he is going to be Stoners replacement however they dress it up to please the organisers and comply with the rookie rule. Everyone else will have to fight for a slot once Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi sign their new deals. This means that Spies, Hayden, Dovi, Crutchlow, Bradl, Bautista and probably Luthi, Redding and other good Moto2 rookies will have to fight for the very few places available in 'good' teams. It may be more interesting winter than summer this year in MotoGP | ||
| Jaimec |
Dennis Noyes on Casey Stoner and the start of "Silly Season:" http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-noye s-notebook-irreplaceable-pt-i/ | ||
| Bads1 |
Good read. | ||
| Trojan |
Interesting that Noyes assumes Nicky Hayden will stay at Ducati next year. Has Nicky got a contract for next year already or is he in the fight with the rest for places? If the latter is the case then I would think his position at Ducati is as tenuous as Rossi's, and I doubt if Nicky will even want to stay at Ducati if the bike hasn't improved markedly by mid season. Alternativeley Ducati may wish to hang onto Nicky simply because enticing any of the current top guys may prove too much for them, technically and fianancially. | ||
| 46champ |
Remember Matt Nicky sells bikes in the USA always follow the money. He has been called the PR's department dream. | ||
| Jaimec |
Part II in the series: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-noye s-notebook-irreplaceable-pt-ii/ | ||
| Trojan |
FP1 in Spain this morning, and sunny weather sees normal service resumed...ie. Honda at the front, chased by a bunch of Yamahas and Ducati struggling to keep up. Stoner was of course quickest followed very closely by Pedrosa. Lorenzo then led the Yamaha charge followed by Crutchlow and Spies. Ben needs to up his game this weekend for sure so has to be up there in every session and most importantly in the race. If not I can see him being axed/substituted even by mid season unfortunately  Cal needs to re-establish his claim to be number one Tech 3 rider after being beaten by Dovi in the last 2 races, so the Yamaha internal politics look more interesting than the race at this stage. Fastest factory Ducati was Hayden in 7th, while Rossi languishes downfield in 11th after FP1, but encouragingly only 0.7 off the front. Of course we don't know what tyres they used, how hard they were trying, hw much fuel they caried or what parts they were testing, but you can guarantee that the order won't be upset too much in FP2 and Qualifying. The top 12 are separated by just 0.8 seconds, but then there is a relatively huge gap of 1.29 seconds between 12th place Karel Abraham and the fastest of the CRT brigade once more (RDP of course). I would have hoped that the best of the CRT's would be closer to the back of the Satellite bikes by now in good weather. Hopefully they will get closer by race day, although I think we will need some serious rain to shift the established running order at the front | ||
| Jaimec |
Jorge's back on top (as he should be) and Ben is having a good session so far. Fingers crossed for a Honda-less podium this Sunday... | ||
| Jaimec |
Rats... "The Quitter" is on the pole again. Hoping Jorge can spoil his day tomorrow. | ||
| Smoke |
Spies-a little too anxious a little too soon. great run by Jorge! tim | ||
| Jaimec |
Ben, Ben, Ben...  | ||
| Gaesati |
.... And the Dovi vs Crutchlow show continues. I can hardly wait for the next instalment... There's a rumour that Dovioso paid for his own brake set-up which gives him an edge on Crutchlow. True or False? | ||
| Jaimec |
Cal has the same brakes now. The question is: Who paid for them? |
