2018 HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France

Repsol 93 · May 20, 2018

:1a:

1 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 95
2 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 59
3 Johann ZARCO Yamaha FRA 58
4 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 56
5 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 54
6 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 49
7 Andrea IANNONE Suzuki ITA 47
8 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda GBR 46
9 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati ITA 46

synn · May 20, 2018

michaelm said:
I don't think Zarco would have lasted to the end of the race on soft/soft.

Probably not. Petrucci was also on S-S though.

Keshav · May 20, 2018

Stupid crashes from Dovi and Zarco. I expected it from Zarco given the degree of pressure to win, but I always think of Dovi as having a cooler head. He must have known Lorenzo would predictably fade after a few laps. Gutted.

Petrucci was the bright spot in the race.

JPSLotus · May 20, 2018

michaelm said:
Petrucci and Miller both went soft and soft and pretty much lasted till the end of the race. Lorenzo on the Yamaha was renowned for lasting on soft tires, he certainly is very ill-matched to the Ducati as you say.

Dovi was perhaps feeling his oats too much after signing the new contract, he didn't need to get out of shape that early in the race, last year he won races with late race pace.

I'd love to know what specifically it is about the Ducati that renders him incapable of making the soft tires last. Or if he is simply overriding the bike to a point that they don't hold up while Petrucci and Miller aren't doing this.

I felt the whole weekend Dovi was trying too hard after signing the contract. My guess is he'll be calmed down in Mugello. At least for his sake he better be.

michaelm · May 20, 2018

synn said:
I am surprised to see Dovi bin it like that as well. He’s the last guy I expect to make a mistake like that.

Perhaps he was better riding with no overwhelming expectations rather than as the anointed (and highly paid) number 1 rider.

synn · May 20, 2018

Kudos also to Asparagus A. Finally a top 10 and the Aprilia didn’t give up the ghost this time.

I love how the Aprilias Sound on track. They are musical. Everything else sounds like a chainsaw from the stands. Just wish they are a bit more competitive and consistent.

synn · May 20, 2018

JPSLotus said:
I'd love to know what specifically it is about the Ducati that renders him incapable of making the soft tires last. Or if he is simply overriding the bike to a point that they don't hold up while Petrucci and Miller aren't doing this.

I felt the whole weekend Dovi was trying too hard after signing the contract. My guess is he'll be calmed down in Mugello. At least for his sake he better be.

Could be all the rear braking you have to do on the Duc compared to the Yamaha.

p4p1 · May 20, 2018

I think Dovi has been crashing more, ie Valencia & today because he has more pressure on him. It's probably easier to keep the bike upright when you don't need to win so you can chase down a championship lead.

Good ride from Rossi and Petrucci.

Huge weekend for Marquez, he wasted on of his good tracks at Argentina but he's more than made up for it with top results at tracks he is weaker at. Can't wait for Mugello, it should be Marquez v 3-4 Ducati's.

michaelm · May 20, 2018

synn said:
Probably not. Petrucci was also on S-S though.

So was Miller.

I guess as he rides corner speed a la Lorenzo on the Yamaha he might have made them last, but he tends to fade late in races as well, this was a newly laid track with an abrasive surface, and Valentino was on one medium tire and kept a competitive pace until the podium was sealed.

paparazzo · May 20, 2018

Oh look, Marquez get booed in yet another country. I wonder why..:unsure:

synn · May 20, 2018

Other notes:

- it would be a shame if Tech 3 doesn’t retain Syahirin. I was meh on him in the beginning, but he comes across as a humble guy who puts his head down and does all the hard work and brings in the results.

- Great ride from Morbidelli too. He has great talent and I hope he finds his way to factory machinery soon.

- Honda better have a really ....... good reason to drop Pedrosa if they actually do it.

- Hearing an interview with Dudley Smith earlier made me remember what a technically sound guy he is. He is not fast enough to be a front running race rider, but he will make a hell of a test rider and I mean that in a good way.

michaelm · May 20, 2018

paparazzo said:
Oh look, Marquez get booed in yet another country. I wonder why..:unsure:

No wonder about it at all. MM is a don't get mad get even guy though, and as mentally tough as any sportsman I have ever seen, so getting booed by Rossi fans abashes him not at all, and just makes him more determined.

I think as others have opined and as he has pretty much said himself you guys and Dorna/RD are going to get pretty much what you have asked for post Argentina, him riding relatively conservatively by his standards and taking few risks, winning most of the races and gapping the opposition in the points.

Holypuck · May 20, 2018

synn said:
Other notes:

- it would be a shame if Tech 3 doesn’t retain Syahirin. I was meh on him in the beginning, but he comes across as a humble guy who puts his head down and does all the hard work and brings in the results.

- Great ride from Morbidelli too. He has great talent and I hope he finds his way to factory machinery soon.

- Honda better have a really ....... good reason to drop Pedrosa if they actually do it.

- Hearing an interview with Dudley Smith earlier made me remember what a technically sound guy he is. He is not fast enough to be a front running race rider, but he will make a hell of a test rider and I mean that in a good way.

I think his name in Bradley

for all the rest I agree

Repsol 93 · May 20, 2018

paparazzo said:
Oh look, Marquez get booed in yet another country. I wonder why..:unsure:

Is it the fact that he is humiliating Flossy and the Valiban can't bear it?

:1a:

synn said:
Other notes:

- Honda better have a really ....... good reason to drop Pedrosa if they actually do it.

reason #1: he hasn't done squat despite being on the best bike and supported by the best factory his entire MotoGP career

paparazzo · May 20, 2018

michaelm said:
No wonder about it at all. MM is a don't get mad get even guy though, and as mentally tough as any sportsman I have ever seen, so getting booed by Rossi fans abashes him not at all, and just makes him more determined.

I think as others have opined and as he has pretty much said himself you guys and Dorna/RD are going to get pretty much what you have asked for post Argentina, him riding relatively conservatively by his standards and taking few risks, winning most of the races and gapping the opposition in the points.

Mentally tough? He is nothing special, all riders doing this sport are mentally tough. Look at Cal today. MM is the only rider I seen who get booed even in his own country.

Jumkie · May 20, 2018

Zarco's biggest mistake today was thinking he could beat Marquez. He may have looked at it as "I can win the race" but he didn't look at it as "I will have to be Marquez". That was his undoing.

Championship Over!

If you live in a glass house don't throw rocks.

michaelm · May 20, 2018

paparazzo said:
Mentally tough? He is nothing special, all riders doing this sport are mentally tough. Look at Cal today. MM is the only rider I seen who get booed even in his own country.

So what?. It is hardly any secret that Rossi has a cult following. There are plenty of reasons to appreciate Rossi and he obviously also has a significant number of fans who are true fans of the sport as well, among whom I have seen little evidence that you number, but being booed by Rossi's cult followers is something to be proud of imo, and as I said abashes him not.

Fairly desperate if all you have to cling to is MM being booed by fans of your ilk as he takes victory after victory and wins title after title.

Holypuck · May 20, 2018

paparazzo said:
Oh look, Marquez get booed in yet another country. I wonder why..:unsure:

Best thing when he gets booed is to think that he's just been winning a race, making probably something above 50grand in prize money only with that specific win, smiling, extending his point lead, and then thinking of the miserable ..... who are so frustrated about their life that they need to go under the podium for the specific reason of trying to be loud about how much they dislike him.

Also, spoiler: he could not care less about being booed.

michaelm · May 20, 2018

Holypuck said:
Best thing when he gets booed is to think that he's just been winning a race, making probably something above 50grand in prize money only with that specific win, smiling, extending his point lead, and then thinking of the miserable ..... who are so frustrated about their life that they need to go under the podium for the specific reason of trying to be loud about how much they dislike him.

Also, spoiler: he could not care less about being booed.

Yes, what was it that Conan the Barbarian said concerning what is best in life ?.

synn · May 20, 2018

To be fair, it looks like disheartened Zarco fans were booing today.
The grandstands that were close to the podium were 80% pro Zarco.

I personally have never booed a racer while attending a race, no matter what the results are. Watching Cal’s crash yesterday should remind everyone how much all of them put on the line to entertain us 19 Sundays a year.

2018 HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France

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