MotoGP - Brno

[St Landrew]

The second half of the season gets underway with the Czech Grand Prix. Stoner has overcome his annoyance that Rossi beat him in the last race, and gone into pole position, with Rossi just behind. Apparently they're both a bit ill too. John Hopkins returned after a bad injury and operation to bring the normally slow Kawasaki into third on the grid.

 

Yes, it's on BBC2 tomorrow [sunday] at 12.45pm. Amazing that it's on a main channel really, considering the Olympics has been wall-to-wall. Just where are they going to put Eastenders..? And who gives a f*** anyway..?

 

1. Stoner

2. Rossi

3. Hopkins.

[St Landrew]

JT must be well teed off with his Yamaha as he just about managed to fall off in the wet as he braked for a corner, during qualifying. His bike had the audacity to stay perfectly upright as it went into the gravel. Good camera shot of JT waving his Yamaha off as if to say, good riddance.

[St Landrew]

Not a bad race today. Good to see some people finishing higher than usual. It was all about tyres and Casey Stoner though. but for different reasons, Stoner fell off of his Bridgestone shod Ducati, while trying to put distance between himself and The Doctor, also on Bridgestones. But many of the field were on Michelins, and they went backwards fast. The highest placed Michelin rider was in 9th place - not good for competition. JT beat his teammate, but they were miles behind. Even Melandri took his tortoise Ducati into a decent finish. He was on Bridgestones too.

 

1. Valentino Rossi/Yamaha

2. Tony Elias/Ducati

3. Loris Capirossi/Suzuki

 

Read this BBC report. Obviously someone doesn't even watch MotoGP when they write their reports - spot the error before they bother to correct it.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/7566634.stm

 

For those that don't know, Stoner did finish his last race at Laguna Seca, after falling off, and in second place too. That's a very clever DNF.

 

EDIT: They corrected it. Wish I'd copied and pasted the original now.

Edited 17 August, 2008 by St Landrew

[OLYMPIC]

An ok race bit spaced out at the front but good to see Capirossi get a good finish he still has what it takes to win races in my oppinion.

I know they acted all suprised with Stoner falling off but if you remember when he rode the LCR Honda he was very fast but then fell of for no reason i think we are just seeing that he hasn't completely got rid of that.

With the championship it is now Rossi's to loose but i think he will win it now,sad not to see Hayden there but as they said don't be sur****ed to see he has signed for Ducati the only thing is will he ride it for the rest of the season or sit it out and come back fresh next year.

[St Landrew]

An ok race bit spaced out at the front but good to see Capirossi get a good finish he still has what it takes to win races in my oppinion.

I know they acted all suprised with Stoner falling off but if you remember when he rode the LCR Honda he was very fast but then fell of for no reason i think we are just seeing that he hasn't completely got rid of that.

With the championship it is now Rossi's to loose but i think he will win it now,sad not to see Hayden there but as they said don't be sur****ed to see he has signed for Ducati the only thing is will he ride it for the rest of the season or sit it out and come back fresh next year.

 

Yeah, I remember season 2006, when Nicky Hayden became World Champion, Stoner was falling off so much it was becoming a commentator's joke. But he seems to have a style which takes the bike he's riding to the very limit. He has yet to hone his style so that he can go fast, stay on board all the race, and pick up points.

 

Saying that, he is a superb rider, being able to screw the living daylights out of that Ducati, when all others have failed. BTW, it'll be interesting to see if Nicky Hayden can do it next season, as he likes a bike with rawish power. But Stoner needs to do the percentage type rides which pick up points, don't ruin the tyres, and go fast. This is where Rossi is supreme.

 

The Yamaha still isn't as fast as either the Repsol Honda or the factory Ducati, yet Rossi manages to screw it into fast times by the fact of fine tuning of its obviously superb handling, and making the most of getting its power into the rear tyre, and onto the tarmac. Once the Yamaha gets close, Rossi does the rest.