St Landrew

And nobody did..! Today was significant. Valentino has been laying down the law all weekend so far. Watching qualification today was like listening to the song, anything you can do [i can do better...] One kind of knew something special was coming because the bikes were going around in lap times of 1m 36s odd, and nobody was looking badly out of shape. Then up on the screen came last year's lap record of 1m 33.32 set by Casey Stoner [back for Estoril]. No wonder most of the front runners looked relaxed. Then with 20 odd minutes to go Rossi popped in an early quick one in the 1m 35s area. Immediately Lorenzo popped in a lower 1m35s time. Then Rossi, then Lorenzo, then Rossi, then Lorenzo... it was like musical chairs, and each lap got a tiny bit faster and faster. Then low and behold, Pedrosa came stonking along with the fastest lap, with out-of-a-job-next-season Tony Elias immediately behind him for second spot. Lorenzo responded, and got between Pedrosa and Elias. Which now meant Rossi was on the second row. With the seconds ticking down, Rossi went into the pits to have his rear tyre changed, and came out with 1m 45s remaining. Instead of touring around to gently get the heat into his rear tyre, he pushed it quite a bit, and crossed the line for his flying lap with 3 seconds to spare. Having got heat into the tyres, in a fast track kind of way, he then stormed around nearly a quarter of a second faster than everybody else in 1m 34.338 seconds. Please note though that this was still a second slower than Stoner's time last year. That was a heck of a lap. To put Rossi's time into perspective, during the swapping of times earlier, people had been going a couple of hundredth's faster than the others. Rossi came along and nailed one that couldn't be returned, and he did it when there was no other chance. Failing would have possibly put him on the second row. Instead, the very fast Elias went there, but he can be very satisfied with his afternoon's work. He shouldn't be out of a ride next season. JT looked for all the person who had just been told he had no job in MotoGP next season, as he qualified 14th. Luckily British fans may not have to wait for too long before another genuine British contender comes along. In the 125s, young Brit Bradley Smith did a Rossi, and went round with a last gasper to get pole. I'm always astounded by Bradley, when he's interviewed or when he is riding. he is so mature, you wouldn't believe he is 18. San Marino MotoGP qualifying result: 1 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 1 min 34.338 secs 2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 1:34.560 3 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 1:34.808 4 Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 1:34.907 5 Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 1:35.184 6 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 1:35.223 7 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Honda 1:35.343 8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 1:35.492 9 Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 1:35.554 10 Loris Capirossi (Italy) Suzuki 1:35.561 14 James Toseland (UK) Yamaha 1:36.070 125cc qualifying: 1 Bradley Smith (Gbr) Aprilia 1min 43.727secs 2 Julian Simon (Spa) Aprilia 1:43.743 3 Andrea Iannone (Fra) Aprilia 1:43.890 4 Nicolas Terol (Spa) Aprilia 1:43.987 5 Sergio Gadea (Spa) Aprilia 1:44.062 6 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Derbi 1:44.171 7 Marc Marquez (Spa) KTM 1:44.179 8 Simone Corsi (Ita) Aprilia 1:44.349 9 Stefan Bradl (Ger) Aprilia 1:44.656 10 Sandro Cortese (Ger) Derbi 1:44.929 13 Danny Webb (Gbr) Aprilia 1:45.188 14 Scott Redding (Gbr) Aprilia 1:45.213 250cc qualifying: 1 Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 1 min 38.867 secs 2 Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 1:38.875 3 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Gilera 1:39.038 4 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Aprilia 1:39.068 5 Mike Di Meglio (France) Aprilia 1:39.397 6 Alex Debon (Spain) Aprilia 1:39.416 7 Hector Faubel (Spain) Honda 1:39.602 8 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 1:39.825 9 Roberto Locatelli (Italy) Gilera 1:39.91015 10 Ratthapark Wilairot (Thailand) Honda 1:39.969 P.S. Rossi has a new helmet for the race weekend. People who are his fans know him as The Doctor and so he has this on the back of his race leathers. But just for this weekend, to accompany The Doctor logo, and to commemorate his own mistake, last week in Indianapolis, his new helmet has a picture of Shrek Donkey on the front, with The Donkey written on the back. Only Valentino would bother to do this. But then he is the honorary president of AGV Helmets. The_Donkey_Helmet And what's this I hear that Ferrari once again talked to him about driving at Monza..? Thankfully, he had his sensible hat on, at the time. 125 and 250cc race 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online MotoGP Race 1230-1400, BBC Two/online MotoGP Extra 1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online

Something took place today. Free practice went on, for a race, though you'd hardly know about it. And one team was about half a second faster than anybody else. Let's guess who it was... 1] Repsol [Factory] Honda 2] Fiat [Factory] Yamaha 3] Rizla [Factory, and only] Suzuki 4] Hayate [Fac... blah, blah] Kawasaki or.... 5] Malboro [Factory] Ducati BTW, has anyone noticed how much cigarette advertising is still around MotoGP..? Naughty, but nobody mentions it. Well I just did. It shouldn't be there, but it is. Everybody has to have something to balance against their enjoyment of life. We in the UK have Moral Responsibility and Sh!te Weather. Those in Southern Europe have Sun and Potentially Eventual Lung Cancer. It's an Idea. Apparently they live longer than us, anyway. Back to free practice, and the answer to who went fastest. The Fiat Yamaha lads turned out to be half a second faster than anybody else, and the in-house rivalry is beginning to get the whole MotoGP paddock crowd rather fascinated, even the other riders. Will it be Lorenzo or Rossi..? After Indy, Rossi is 25 points ahead with 5 races to go [MotoGP followers will know that isn't anything like insurmountable, unlike F1], and the momentum has been with Jorge Lorenzo. Yet today, on Rossi's turf [his home is only a few kilometres down the road] Lorenzo has been fastest all day, only for Rossi to pull something out of the bag, late on, and find 0.126 seconds to eliminate. The thing I want to know is... where did he find that eighth of a second to lose..? They're all on the limit, concentrating hard on speed; so where did Vale lose that tiny bit..? **How do you do that..? **As, reading this, you're probably a car driver only, not a biker, you don't need to come up with an explanation. It's not a test.

I don't doubt it for a second.

I hate this about the insurance system. You can be sure, that at some point in the proceedings, he has described to his insurance company how the accident happened. You can also be sure that the insurance company has told him to deny all liability, basically to see whether they can get away with paying out as much as they should. Insurance companies, first and formost, seem to cover themselves. If they happen to cover their clients, then that's a bonus.

Well after watching a few episodes of Game On, from the link I left on The Office thread, I decided to actually listen to Where I find My Heaven by the Gigolo Aunts. Nice bit of pop, and a cracking beginning to each episode of Game On. But here's the whole song, and a little video of Harrison Ford flying aeroplanes [airplanes to him, no doubt]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xHKMJBEFM0

£30 is OK nowadays. besides, the Sony may be worth the trouble, and they will include the £30 in the repair, not make it additional to.

Mirror: The revelation will shock fans who see Le Tiss as a hero who saved the club from relegation. And we still do. This honest and frank admission makes not a jot of difference to me.

Same here. It's genuine.

I honestly don't know why certain people turn on Saganowski. He's a high quality player, who really should be playing in a better league. It's like anyone at work who knows they could do better elsewhere. If nobody comes in, I'm sure he'll give his all. But being the quality player he is, 85% of Saganowski is more than 100% of some other players. Perhaps they're too busy singing or shouting abuse to notice.

If you're local you might like to try: Bournemouth_Motorcycle_Hire The bikes are in pretty good condition, and well worth a go for a day or two to get the jaded car driver mentality out of yourself. Go on, see if your basher still fits.

Don't know why this popped into my head, but it did. This was a funny series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppazT5HlOo4

What's the problem then matey..? As it happens, every time I give up biking, many years end up going by. I once went 14 years between bikes. Only got this last one because it was such an excellent deal. Wasn't planned at all - just happened.

Well if Hamster is going to post pictures of Ron Haslam on a food thread, then I'm going to admit to watching The Hairy Bikers trip to Lincolnshire, where they came across and ate Pork Haslet, and thought it was superb. Kind of brings it full circle. Nice pic, Hammy.

Oh, sorry for being overly serious then. Agreed, 60 or 70 is dawdling on a bike. Rather interesting on a back road though.

Great little bit of banter. I felt I shouldn't have, but I lolled.

I'm desperately trying to think of ANY situation comedy show that I watch, let alone like anymore. I realise that, if anywhere on TV, I get my laughs from comedy quiz shows like QI, HIGNFY, etc...

Really..? The Royal Mint will give you £50 for it. Although I'd keep it because once all the 20ps of the type have been surrendered, they'll be worth a lot more. Of course, everyone could have the same attitude, which would be typical.

You are correct, the BBC does use trailers for their programmes, just as the commerical stations do, and do indulge in covert advertising, again like the commercial stations. What they don't do is openly interrupt their programmes with advertising, although if you occasionally watch BBC3 [which I try to avoid generally], you'll notice, for some unfathomable reason, that they break into whatever programe is being broadcast to have a 1 minute update of the news during the evening. Frankly, I can't see the point, but then I find it hard to make a case for BBC3 anyway. But BBC3 is another subject. Onto the main point, which I ask people to think about. For ease of understanding, let's take an hour long programme. On the BBC, and hour long programme means between 55 minutes to almost the entire hour. It depends on the time slot, and yes, how many trailers have been played before and after the programme. But generally, we're almost getting what we expect - an hour long programme. Onto a commercial channel, funded through advertising and sponsorship, i.e. we pay indirectly. I never watch the programme but, am I right that Corrie is sponsored by Cadbury's..?. Anyway, the same programme hour is subject to similar trailers, so a few minutes is lost there. Then we take away 3 breaks for advertising, during the programme, and 1 for the programme start/finish. In all, upto 20 minutes of the hour can be taken up. That leaves a 40 minute programme, in an hour slot, saving the production side of the company quite a lot of money. But not only that, what time they save on can be used to generate money. Times that by 3, and the company has saved on 60 minutes of programme making - another programme entirely - and had the hour to generate money. Seems like a good scam to me. Then we get the crowd led by the Murdochs. Advertised, sponsored and directly paid for TV. On the surface it seems good - you pay only for what you sign up for, i.e. you choose. Great, I like the concept. But then they put the gems out there, and you have to take some of the rubbish with it. It used to be worse, I know, I didn't want to, but I used to help sell it as part of Comet retailing. You used to have to have most of the rubbish before you got the sport or the films, practically the only reason for SKY in the first place. So there you are, paying your whatever package price per month [not small, that's for sure], and then they have the gall to behave like an ordinary commercial TV channel. They advertise directly at you, and you are paying them to do this - really..! They save money on programming time, which they almost always buy in, not make for themselves, fill the remainder up with adverts, and then have the cheek to ask for direct payment. One or the other, but surely not both..? Incidentally, I notice a recent boast of SKY is to enjoy advert free films. I should bloody well think so, don't you..? You're paying for them, after all. If anyone thinks they are being slightly conned by the Beeb, then surely they need to go back and re-examine. Whatever the Beeb's faults, and they are manifold, they are the creative yardstick in the UK. Without their lead there would be no majority quality media in this country. We lose them at our peril.

I suppose I resent the Govt putting me into a package marked lowest common denominator. The fact is, we're all legislated for the least capable drivers, and the careless, and the accident prone. The good drivers, who wouldn't have an accident whatever speed is set on the roads just have to take it. But it is bloody boring and positively annoying when a few percent of the brain is taken up with driving, and there in front is a white knuckle driver who you know is driving too close to their limit. I want to quickly get past these people. They are dangerous, and I don't want to be near them. Lower the speed limit still further and it'll eventually mean I can't overtake for fear of breaking what tiny speed limit there is. I enjoy my freedom on a bike. At present I can leave the cars, desperate to form themselves into a traffic jam, way behind. I know what it's like in a car because I drive too. And it is far better with your wits alive and concentrating, on 2 wheels, and to be able to get past the tin cans.

That's not exactly the truth, now is it..? You have to have a licence fee to have TV. Yes, it all goes to the BBC, but you won't get ITV either, if you don't pay. As far as the general public are concerned, they come together as a package, or not at all. At least the whole 1 hr and 15 mins are the programme itself, and not adverts included. Why not just go to the BBC sport website for Southampton and play back the sugment of the programme that pertains to Saints..? That way you don't record, but you watch. And only Saints too.

Have you heard of the video recorder..? They were a big thing about 25 years back, although they were bloody expensive when they first came out. Now people are throwing them away because they have something better. You could switch yours on and record the programme too, and then watch it Sunday morning. Or you could watch it on iPlayer. Have I made my point, or have I laboured it..?

Yeah, same here. I think its popularity was slightly overblown too. It was among a batch of comedies that you were supposed to like. A kind of emperor's new clothes feel that turned me off immediately. But I gave it a fair chance, and it did have some moments. Sadly, it was almost too squirmingly realistic to be funny though. Besides, I've always hated the office politic environment.

So what are you trying to say..? Taking up your point then, if I read it correctly, 50mph is more dawdling than 60 or 70. Do we want that condition..? No. :smt120 [best eye-rolly thingy we have, I'm afraid]

Well the Indianapolis meeting overall was impressive, even if the main race was a tad processional. People were falling off left, right and centre though, which nearly made up for it. Even Vale lost it. Pity the director kept breaking away from the action just as it was about to happen. Perhaps the biggest thrill was watching young Bradley Smith storming his 125cc bike round the track in a lap record for the 125s. To think they are actually going up the main straight practically as fast as my VFR can go, and they are pipsqueak motors. As for going round the circuit, they're so incredibly agile, it must be a real hoot to ride them. Our Bradley came second though, and he almost made it first again. But at least he was on the podium, and so closes in slightly on 125cc Championship leader, Simon. 125cc race result: 1 P Espargaro (Spn) Derbi 42'07.925 2 B Smith (GB) Aprilia 42'08.045 3 S Corsi (Ita) Aprukua 42'08.373 4 N Terol (Spn) Aprilia 42'09.538 5 J Simon (Spn) Aprilia 42'09.726 Championship standings: 1 J Simon 185 pts 2 N Terol 132.5 3 B Smith 131.5 4 S Gadea 112 5 A Iannone 109.5 The 250 race went down to the wire, but as usual there was no British interest, making it for race fans alone. Marco Simoncelli won, which won't have done his title defence any harm at all, but second place went to 250cc Championship leader Aoyama. Just a few races ago Simoncelli was nowhere, and now, with 5 races to go, he's only 27 points behind. It's still do-able. 250cc race result: 1 M Simoncelli (Ita) Gilera 45'43.599 2 H Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 45'45.542 3 A Bautista (Spn) Aprilia 45'48.260 4 M Di Meglio (Fra) Aprilia 45'56.375 5 R Locatelli (Ita) Gilera 45'59.074 Championship standings: 1 H Aoyama 192 2 A Bautista 176 3 M Simoncelli 165 4 H Barbera 133 5 M Pasini 100 So to the main event, and Indianapolis ended up as Lorenzoland for the day. That's the name he calls every place he wins at. He even plants a Lorenzoland flag on occasion. This time he donned a Captain America shield, to go with the Captain America helmet he'd already been wearing throughout the race, and wheelied the length of the start-finish straight. That made him popular with the US crowd. He then proceeded to take his Yamaha M1 up the banking, get off, and climb the spectator fence, all 20ft high of it, and hang off the wire overhang, to the cheers of surrounding spectators at his feet..! I can just see any of the F1 drivers NOT doing that. In fact, committed bunch that the MotoGP riders are, I can see just about nobody else doing that. Was Lorenzo pleased - just slightly. He then wheelied back into parc ferme, and proceeded to vault the barrier, head first into the arms of his waiting mechanics. It was all good fun. But not for everybody. Dani Pedrosa, as predicted, stormed off into the lead; followed by Rossi and Lorenzo, who'd actually muffed his getaway. JT was down in 10th, but doing well, and everybody else at the back seemed to leave the track. Actually it was only 3 of them, but it strung the field out F1 style, a bit. Then, with Pedrosa under a tiny bit of pressure, his front folded under him, leaving the 2 works Yamahas to have their cosy little dance to the finish. But it didn't work out like that. Rossi was definitely not comfortable, and Lorenzo seemed to have his measure. Sure enough, Lorenzo took Rossi at midpoint and started to put a couple of bike lengths between them. But Vale wasn't going to give up - let's face it, he never does - and kept up the pursuit, looking as if he might be able to work something out, as he nearly always does. But at the end of the start-finish straight, Rossi ran long... and then the US director cut away to other action... only to come back moments later with Vale skidding across the infield grass. Typically, he got his bike up and got going again. But this time he wasn't going to do anything, and so came in to retire. All this time, other people were falling off, mainly disappointingly behind JT. But he'd already got himself upto 6th [and finished there] with Melandri breathing down his neck, on the Kwacker. But there is a Le Tiss, as Marco fell off and end-overed his bike. He ran upto it to get back on, but according to Steve Parrish, he counted about £60,000 worth of damage. I thought he was being conservative in his estimate. Finally, it came to the last couple of laps, and poor Dani Pedrosa, who'd fallen off, had been going round faster than everybody else still. He came from way, way back last to 10th, and actually stormed past Vermeulen's Suzuki without bothering to slipstream, such was the Honda horsepower. I could say that Pedrosa's Honda RC212V is based on my old Viffer V4 engine, but I won't because it isn't..! They are vaguely similar, but that's it. Here's how they finished: Indianapolis MotoGP result: 1 J Lorenzo (Sp) Fiat Yamaha 47'13.592 2 A de Angelis (RSM) Gresini Honda 47'23.027 3 N Hayden (USA) Ducati 47'26.539 4 A Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda 47'27.070 5 C Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 47'39.846 6 J Toseland (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha 47'46.000 7 L Capirossi (Ita) Rizla Suzuki 47'47.992 8 M Kallio (Fin) Ducati 47'48.448 9 T Elias (Sp) Gresini Honda 47'58.597 10 D Pedrosa (Spn) Repsol Honda 47'58.597 11 C Vermeulen (Aus) Rizla Suzuki 47'59.070 12 R de Puniet (Fr) LCR Honda 48'05.886 13 A Espargaro (Sp) Pramac Racing 48'17.144 14 G Talmacsi (Hng) Scot Racing 48'28.678 Championship standings: 1 V Rossi 212 2 J Lorenzo 187 3 C Stoner 150 4 D Pedrosa 141 5 C Edwards 123 6 A Dovizioso 120 7 A de Angelis 88 8 L Capirossi 86 9 R de Puniet 84 10 M Meldandri 79 11 C Vermeulen 77 12 N Hayden 73 13 J Toseland 72 14 T Elias 70 15 M Kallio 42 16 N Canepa 32 17 S Gibernau 12 18 G Talmacsi 10 19 Y Takahashi 9 20 A Espargaro 3 Onto Misano in Italy next week.