Do you beleive Ducati could of been a contender in the previous 4 years....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinky @ Sep 3 2007, 12:42 AM) [snapback]88466[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
given that stoner has come on board and blew every one away this year.... do you think that ducati already had the machinary in the previous 4 years?

for one ducati always had a HP advantage. , but was never utalised to its full potential.

given loris had only 90 points this season and has had his least competitve season to date, that would tell us that the ducati hasnt made a huge leap forward, the only difference has been a change in rider.

i got a feeling that ducati, if it had better riders would of won a few championships already.

Your original post is slanted towards Stoner being the benchmark of talent Ducati would be hiring to win the title in the past. I agree the B'stones were not up to snuff up to this point as well as Ducati's developing their electrics[TC, fuel system....] all of which got them to this point. Just because they are at the current level doesn't mean they have been there all along. And as far as Capirex bashing, it is just as logical to me to say he is not getting along with the 800's but was one of the 990's best riders and Casey is the best 800 rider out there but didn't get along with the 990's as well. I think there are just to many variables, especially this year, to make these types of judgements.

It's hard to question Ducati when they are dominating a championship in only their fifth season--even harder since the bike has given the star rider a change at breaking the single season win record.

They did exactly what they had to do. They used old riders because they needed people who could tell them what a good GP bike was supposed to feel like. They got Capi to help them make sure the GP was a motogp bike, they had Bayliss to help them make sure it felt like a Ducati. Then Checa and Gibby pitched in during 2005 & 2006.

After they were sure the bike was a competitive machine, they went out to get a younger rider. Luckily for them, they got a young rider who intuitively understands the Ducati 800 without any prior experience.

Like others have pointed out, the Duc was hindered by the Stones and a bad chassis in previous years. A great young rider might have made a difference last year, IF he figured out how to ride it as well as Loris within his first season.

They've done exactly what they need to do. It's hard for me to contemplate a way to make a winning bike faster than they did.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Valentino Is God @ Sep 4 2007, 12:14 AM) [snapback]88554[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
oh, here we go again. another new aussie cheerleader!
yes i dont think anyone has ever disputed that the factory honda was the best 990 and in his 2 years on it Rossi won the title.


If I'm a cheerleader because I can see value in a different rider than what you do & I don't see the world through those "Rossi Tinted" glasses that some seem to, then yeah I guess that I am...

( This was invented a couple of weeks ago by another forum member but it think that it's appropriate here.)

I'd been riding & racing motorcycles and watching the world motorcycle championship for a long time before you were born, so I think that I'm allowed to have a different perspective to you!

Actually, it might help that if you hunt down the first post that I ever put on this site if you want a true indication of my love of the sport & that contrary to what you probably believe I have previously been a long term Rossi fan.

And by the way, I doubt that you can claim the morale high ground here any more than I can given your self applied name...

By constantly arguing down Stoner's achivements this year, Rossi's devoted followers are doing nothing but tarnishing his good name. Vale himself has had nothing but praise & admiration for Casey and with the exception of Casey having a dig at Vale about the tyre issue then it's been pretty much the same in return.

Interesting that these 2 great rivals can maintain a professional courtesy that some on this forum wouldn't understand...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(muzzy57 @ Sep 4 2007, 10:18 AM) [snapback]88646[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
By constantly arguing down Stoner's achivements this year, Rossi's devoted followers are doing nothing but tarnishing his good name. Vale himself has had nothing but praise & admiration for Casey and with the exception of Casey having a dig at Vale about the tyre issue then it's been pretty much the same in return.

Interesting that these 2 great rivals can maintain a professional courtesy that some on this forum wouldn't understand...


As is to be expected with such a great champion as Rossi, I see he has now morally conceded the title is Stoners .....

And its not even mathematically done yet! ... the guy is paying Stoner a real compliment, again thats allways been an admirable trait of Rossi.

Another odd thing is lots of the paddock are sticking up for Stoner ... many are saying " its not the bike or tyres .. its Stoner"
Its odd for them to be saying it but I think its happening because of the disbelief, and non-acceptance, of many of the spectators.

The guy isn't just fighting for the Championship he's running away with it!!!
Rossi is no slouch ... he is unbelieveably hard to beat .... he has put up a fight that would any other year probably have one a title, but Stoner is there!!

Whether or not you feel its the Ducati or the tyres, nobody else comes close with that combo.

Is it an Emu or an Osterich that buries its head in the sand so it can't see whats happening? .... well thats what many seem to be doing.


As to why Stoner IS winning by so much well my theory .....

Stoner is a farmboy.... he got a new red tractor.
Stoner was a loner ... he got a new missus to play with.