Focus on Rossi

+1
Although I missed his "stupid pre planned celebration stunts 'for no good reason' "

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Sep 10 2008, 04:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>2008 has been vintage Rossi, the man I truly admire, talking the mind talk and walking the nasty walk.

When has Rossi hung 1-5 seconds back and waited for his opponent to crash? If that's vintage Rossi you can have it.

I was hoping for vintage Rossi this season I wanted to see him vanquish the Michelin demons and fight for a championship. But instead, he had the rules changed to make sure he would win.



Classic

Classic Lex

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Sep 11 2008, 09:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>When has Rossi hung 1-5 seconds back and waited for his opponent to crash? If that's vintage Rossi you can have it.

I was hoping for vintage Rossi this season I wanted to see him vanquish the Michelin demons and fight for a championship. But instead, he had the rules changed to make sure he would win.



Classic
Firstly, at no point in the past 3 races where Casey has crashed has Valentino been more than 3 seconds down on him. No need to fabricate facts. Additionally, being two or three seconds down early in the race doesn't mean much; it's where you're placed at the end of the race that matters. You are under the mistaken assumption that the gap between the two would have invariably remained the same.

Secondly, an effective racer will try to find his opponents' weak points. I think Valentino has got that aspect of his battle with Stoner perfect - hence his massive championship lead.

Thirdly, unlike Casey, Valentino has demonstrated that he knows to push to 99%, and not more. Casey, it seems, is always riding on the limit. That has its own consequences - good and bad.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Burky @ Sep 11 2008, 07:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'm back!!!!!

OK, here's a sore point perhaps.

First of all, what a superb season Valentino is having, totally awesome. But what is the different this year?

Well, in my opinion, he's simply stopped '....... about', and got his mind back on the job.

No testing Ferraris and F1 rumours.
No stupid pre planned celebration stunts 'for no good reason'.
No tax problems.

Valentino is the greatest of all time......when he's hungry......no,..... starving for it!

2008 has been vintage Rossi, the man I truly admire, talking the mind talk and walking the nasty walk.

I raised this issue when he was getting his arse kicked, and got a lot of critisism. It's the bike you said, it's the tyres you said. If it is the tyres and bike allowing him to have such a superb year, then that is detracting from his greatness.

There is one HUGE difference.........focus! Anybody agree, or shall I get back in my box!

Maybe somebody listened to me

does it always have to be one or the other? can't it be both?

Burky is right.

Burky's back to huffing paint!!! Posting, in what use to be a fine forum a few days ago. Get your head out of those toxic fumes, and clear those thoughts out.




























Glad your back!

I'm with somedamnwriter, its a little from column A and a little from column B.

Will throw my thoughts in for further controversy

Do I think that Rossi is more focussed in 2008 than he had been in 2007 and 2006?

Definitely, but I am not convinced that the cause of the 'lack of focus' was purely off track.

IMO, Rossi like a lot of dominant champions became arrogant and complacent in terms that he felt he just could not be beaten and would remain the 'rightful' champion as there was nobody around he felt capable of competing with him. Certainly he would say something different but IMO he had developed a large ego and with it the associated arrogance that comes with being a dominating force.

Along came 2006 and he was beaten. He did not see this as a major issue as (sorry Hayden fans) he was beaten by a rider who won very few races and likely in circumstances that Rossi felt were undeserved (no personal judgements) as most racers want to win. Come the last few races of 2006 and suddenly we have VR realising that 'his' championship is slipping so he has to 'step up'. He does just that but due to the earlier complacency it will take a few races to 'get the groove' back and we saw the result with the crash. No harm done though as VR lost the title rather than was beaten (again, this is no slight either way).

Along comes 2007 and VR is confident. He has good bike, top flight crew and the best tyre supplier in the paddock in Michelin (they had won all premier class titles for years), so things looked up. Still, he did not have a challenger he felt could compete on equal footing as he just did not rate them highly or did not know enough about them. Additionally we have rule changes and given that he is so adaptable, he expected to be the best and again back to his rightful position at the top.

But things go wrong.

The Michelin tyres don't work on the 800.

An untested kid just clicks with the Ducati which has the advantage that the Bridgestones do work.

All of a sudden things weren't within his control as he found issues with the equipment that he had been supplied and suddenly he was placed into a position he was not familiar with. Additionally he did have the off-field tax issue so he had no real chance to relax as no matter where he looked he had problems.

Topping it off, that kid on that bike just kept winning.

By the time he started to get focussed the championship was gone and he had not lost it, but been absolutely dominated which was a new experience and he did not like it one bit.

The off field dramas get resolved.

He resolves to get the package he wants come hell or high water, successfully.

Now, he has the tools, the crew, the bike, the drive to again be best and not bested. He has been knocked down a few pegs from the last few years, the ego hurts, he is a champion this should not happen. All this reignites the fire that has made him what he was and again he returns to the VR of old, a focussed racer.

Sorry for the long winder post but I just got started and kept typing.




Garry

I don't see much difference in his performance to last year. This year the Yamaha is a much better bike compared to last year and he has the best tyres.


The only difference reason he is leading the championship is because Stoner has had so many DFNs.

Stoner has been clearly faster in the majority of practice sessions this season, but just hasn't been able to finish races to score points

Good post Burky, good to see you back here buddy.

Why oh why does it have to be followed with some Lex Files conspiracy ..... though?

Pete

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (alfonz1 @ Sep 11 2008, 08:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't see much difference in his performance to last year. This year the Yamaha is a much better bike compared to last year and he has the best tyres.


The only difference reason he is leading the championship is because Stoner has had so many DFNs.

Stoner has been clearly faster in the majority of practice sessions this season, but just hasn't been able to finish races to score points


Eh???????????????

Pete

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gaz @ Sep 11 2008, 08:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Will throw my thoughts in for further controversy

Do I think that Rossi is more focussed in 2008 than he had been in 2007 and 2006?

Definitely, but I am not convinced that the cause of the 'lack of focus' was purely off track.

IMO, Rossi like a lot of dominant champions became arrogant and complacent in terms that he felt he just could not be beaten and would remain the 'rightful' champion as there was nobody around he felt capable of competing with him. Certainly he would say something different but IMO he had developed a large ego and with it the associated arrogance that comes with being a dominating force.

Along came 2006 and he was beaten. He did not see this as a major issue as (sorry Hayden fans) he was beaten by a rider who won very few races and likely in circumstances that Rossi felt were undeserved (no personal judgements) as most racers want to win. Come the last few races of 2006 and suddenly we have VR realising that 'his' championship is slipping so he has to 'step up'. He does just that but due to the earlier complacency it will take a few races to 'get the groove' back and we saw the result with the crash. No harm done though as VR lost the title rather than was beaten (again, this is no slight either way).

Along comes 2007 and VR is confident. He has good bike, top flight crew and the best tyre supplier in the paddock in Michelin (they had won all premier class titles for years), so things looked up. Still, he did not have a challenger he felt could compete on equal footing as he just did not rate them highly or did not know enough about them. Additionally we have rule changes and given that he is so adaptable, he expected to be the best and again back to his rightful position at the top.

But things go wrong.

The Michelin tyres don't work on the 800.

An untested kid just clicks with the Ducati which has the advantage that the Bridgestones do work.

All of a sudden things weren't within his control as he found issues with the equipment that he had been supplied and suddenly he was placed into a position he was not familiar with. Additionally he did have the off-field tax issue so he had no real chance to relax as no matter where he looked he had problems.

Topping it off, that kid on that bike just kept winning.

By the time he started to get focussed the championship was gone and he had not lost it, but been absolutely dominated which was a new experience and he did not like it one bit.

The off field dramas get resolved.

He resolves to get the package he wants come hell or high water, successfully.

Now, he has the tools, the crew, the bike, the drive to again be best and not bested. He has been knocked down a few pegs from the last few years, the ego hurts, he is a champion this should not happen. All this reignites the fire that has made him what he was and again he returns to the VR of old, a focussed racer.

Sorry for the long winder post but I just got started and kept typing.




Garry

Valentino is the most talented guy on the bike since he arrived to MotoGP. Period.
BUT being the most talented doesn't mean You can win all races. You have to have decent bike, pitkrew, management, tires, health and so on. He missed 2006 by a nose and 2007 by a Ducati
This is just like Casey - being the fastest in pactice gets You only credit, track records and pole position but NO championship points.

Maybe you know more than me but... Wasn't the Ferrari testing part of Vale's lobby to get off Michelin's? Unlike Dani he had to push pretty hard to make the switch - F1 testing was just posturing as part of negotiation...

Like #46 I'm a little vague on the, "stupid pre planned celebration stunts 'for no good reason", do you have a for instance?

Finally I am puzzled as to how either of these things adds up to Vale's being "unprofessional".



P.S. - Paszti - do I understand your favourite rider is 163?!

i think 06 and 07 are 2 different storeys.

in 06 rossi had a bit of bad luck in a couple of races like being taken out by scud ect but i also think he deserved to loose in 06 because he was not fully focused and did spend to much time partying driving F1 and rally cars ect when he should have been concentrating on his championship.

in 07 i think rossi was a victim of michilin and yamaha not focusing and no matter how hard rossi worked it just was not enough. this pissed him off and by halfway through the season he new it had gone so started to work for 08. he read michilin and yam the riot act . yam got to work michilin did not so got sacked. i mean its pretty obvious something was wrong when he got beaten by "i cant fight my way out of a wet paper bag dani"

this year yam are working hard ,rossi has his focus and he has a tyre thats working, he has the best all round package.

the duc mabe still the fastest bike and stoner the fastest man on the grid as long as he is on his optimum race line, but when he has to use different lines while battling it all goes pear shaped

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (alfonz1 @ Sep 11 2008, 02:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't see much difference in his performance to last year. This year the Yamaha is a much better bike compared to last year and he has the best tyres.


The only difference reason he is leading the championship is because Stoner has had so many DFNs.

Stoner has been clearly faster in the majority of practice sessions this season, but just hasn't been able to finish races to score points
Whatever you say dude...
Oh, and welcome to the forum !