Lorenzo switches to Alpinestar leathers

Wow, they're both really looking like babies.

I get the feeling that it's not so much about the Rossi/Lorenzo relationship as it is teams getting deals with suppliers. Surely you've noticed the Astars on all the team's technical apparel, shirts and whatnot. Move Rossi, who can do whatever he likes with sponsorship, and suddenly Alpinestars has a grip on both factory Yamaha riders next season. I'd imagine they've offered more money to Yamaha and Lorenzo to get everyone in their gear.



Similarly, Ducati have a deal with Puma who, if I remember correctly, are working with Dainese. Now with the arrival of Rossi and his close relationship with Dainese, Dainese and Puma likely offered more money to Ducati and Hayden to get Nicky into their leathers.



This is the sort of thing that happens in Formula 1 and I was dreading it would come to MotoGP. Go ahead and sell a contract to a company like Alpinestars or Puma or whoever to put their names all over your garage or your machine, whatever you like. But in a sport where kit is such an instrumental piece of rider safety, riders shouldn't be pressured/encouraged/forced to wear certain bits just because the team wants you to.



Maybe I'm wrong and Lorenzo really wasn't happy with Dainese and Hayden likewise with Alpinestars. But I find that hard to believe considering Lorenzo has been with Dainese since his 250 days and Hayden, apart from a brief stint with Joe Rocket (in which he was part-owner), has only worn Alpinestars.

Also, happy 2011 to the good guys! Apologies for being a stranger.

Austin said:

I get the feeling that it's not so much about the Rossi/Lorenzo relationship as it is teams getting deals with suppliers. Surely you've noticed the Astars on all the team's technical apparel, shirts and whatnot. Move Rossi, who can do whatever he likes with sponsorship, and suddenly Alpinestars has a grip on both factory Yamaha riders next season. I'd imagine they've offered more money to Yamaha and Lorenzo to get everyone in their gear.



Maybe I'm wrong and Lorenzo really wasn't happy with Dainese and Hayden likewise with Alpinestars. But I find that hard to believe considering Lorenzo has been with Dainese since his 250 days and Hayden, apart from a brief stint with Joe Rocket (in which he was part-owner), has only worn Alpinestars.

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I agree, i think the sponsorship thing has a lot to do with it. Repsol Honda have the same thing going on do they not? Last year, both Ducati riders were in A- stars, is Nicky switching now?

Tom said:

is Nicky switching now?

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Yes. He told me so two weeks ago. He'll be on Dainese. (I'm not particularly happy about it though, as I like Alpinestar.) Again, all roads lead to Rossi.

Jumkie said:

Yes. He told me so two weeks ago. He'll be on Dainese. (I'm not particularly happy about it though, as I like Alpinestar.)

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Cheers, i've seen it on a website today also. I like both leathers, but it will be odd to see nicky not in Alpinestar

i use both brands and love them..tiss why i still have pretty skin...so really who gives a .....







bring on the 1000s

Tom said:

Cheers, i've seen it on a website today also. I like both leathers, but it will be odd to see nicky not in Alpinestar

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Which one?



Yes, both leather good, of course, but I wonder why he switched. Of course my cynical side says its about Rossi, as usual.



EDIT: Just read it on gpone. Anyway, yeah, I'm thinking this was a move due to Rossi's influence, who is part of the Dianese structure. How long before Nicky has to be forced to use AGV helments?

Jumkie said:

Which one?



Yes, both leather good, of course, but I wonder why he switched. Of course my cynical side says its about Rossi, as usual.

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http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/Jan/110103hydendainese.htm

L8Braker said:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/Jan/110103hydendainese.htm

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Ah yes, Thanx. Read it also on gpone. Anyway, the Rossi takeover of all things Hayden begins. How long before they remove Nicky's name from his leathers and just put "Rossi's Tester"?

I heard that Rossi asked him already to test some parts and to be officially his go to guy for testing. He also said to ride the bike for him on occasions...

Jumkie said:

Ah yes, Thanx. Read it also on gpone. Anyway, the Rossi takeover of all things Hayden begins. How long before they remove Nicky's name from his leathers and just put "Rossi's Tester"?

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Jumkie said:

Ah yes, Thanx. Read it also on gpone. Anyway, the Rossi takeover of all things Hayden begins. How long before they remove Nicky's name from his leathers and just put "Rossi's Tester"?

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Bit harsh there Jumkie, methinks



Leather can be tailored to measure and I am sure the quality of Dainese and A-Stars are at least equivalent.



Not sure about the helmets - do they make specific shells for the GP riders or are only the same shells available as to Joe Public? For example, AGVs used to fit my head shape 10 years ago, Bieffe 20 years ago (do they even still exist?), Now it's only one of the Arai helmet shells that will do (tried just about every other manufacturer).

yamaka46 said:

Bit harsh there Jumkie, methinks

Leather can be tailored to measure and I am sure the quality of Dainese and A-Stars are at least equivalent.

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Yes buddy, chalk it up to my cynicism, so why the switch then if both will protect you equally? Its not an issue of safety is it? So...why the switch? The only thing that has changed in Nicky's life is a new teammate. A very powerful influential teammate. (read between the lines)



Dean Adams is speculating and citing a report that Lorenzo switched because Dainese snubbed his title. Rossi sits on the Dainese board structure, and the man is not beyond this type of playground tactics from what we know of his public wrangle, so why is my speculation about Nicky using basically the same extrapolation so "harsh"? I'm sure Adams didn't read this on some Lorenzo press release, and I'm just speculating the same. And frankly, its not like its without some basis.



Nicky's camp has the assertiveness of a doormat, while Rossi's has the assertiveness of a Pharaoh.

yamaka46 said:

Not sure about the helmets - do they make specific shells for the GP riders or are only the same shells available as to Joe Public? For example, AGVs used to fit my head shape 10 years ago, Bieffe 20 years ago (do they even still exist?), Now it's only one of the Arai helmet shells that will do (tried just about every other manufacturer).

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Spies uses HJC, Nicky Arai, Rossi AGV, just like the leathers, the riders will use a specially crafted highend item that probably Joe Public does not get access to. Nicky is fairly loyal to his brands, until some external pressure pushes him in a different direction.

I wouldn't be so quick to point the finger at Rossi, Jum. Puma and Dainese had an opportunity to get the whole team in their garb by just offering Ducati and/or Hayden more money, rather than Ducati and/or Hayden and Stoner in seasons past. Fewer people to buy, more bang for the buck in a team with Rossi in it. Remember how sponsors were lining up to get their names on this team? This is apart of that.



And you had Nicky/Alpinestars news for two weeks and you sat on it? Hook a dog, son.

Austin said:

I wouldn't be so quick to point the finger at Rossi, Jum. Puma and Dainese had an opportunity to get the whole team in their garb by just offering Ducati and/or Hayden more money, rather than Ducati and/or Hayden and Stoner in seasons past. Fewer people to buy, more bang for the buck in a team with Rossi in it. Remember how sponsors were lining up to get their names on this team? This is apart of that.



And you had Nicky/Alpinestars news for two weeks and you sat on it? Hook a dog, son.

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First of all, congrats on your 6K post.



Yeah, well I already admitted, I'm a cynical SOB.



I can't say I had a direct quote per say, but I got the exact same grin and wink when I asked St. Nick a similar question a few years ago at the Xgames. You may remember, I handed him my Ducati key and asked if he'd have one of those the coming season. Grin grin, wink wink, and poof, factory Ducati. Something similar happened at MC show a couple weeks ago. I just figured, all Italian contingent was the aim for world domination, something my poor redneck just doesn't have the clout to fight.

I remember when Nicky switched from Repsol Honda to Ducati he had to leave his Red bull sponsorship behind because Ducati was already sponsored by gatorade at the time. It seems thats what happened here too. Dianese won the Ducati bid and Nicky works for Ducati so therefore he must follow the rules and dress code It does make more sense that as a team both riders wear the same leather company, at least logically and business wise it does but not from an obsessive fans point of view .

The California Kid said:

... but not from an obsessive fans point of view

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Get back to work. Leave us obsessives peeps to our delusions. They are comforting.

Well its fairly obvious that the Leathers switch is a rather benine excuse to insight the far more interesting discussion on the riders dislike for each other. Or if your Jum, another excuse to continue his Rossi delusions, which are now beyond obsession......



I find it very interesting that the top four riders don't really like each other at all, with varied incidents compounding the separate issues of the years, probably the best relationship would be between Dani and Rossi, otherwise its just pure despise. Which is not unusual or surprising at all. It won't be long before Jorge can't stand Ben either, and certainly vic-versa. It will start when Ben Beats him, which will be soon.



No doubt Dani and Stoner's relationship will sour even more. As it is the way, especially with teammates who are directly competing week in week out. The mind games are great fun to watch..........

Hi Talps, how was your New Years celebrations? Good? That's nice.

Talpa said:

Well its fairly obvious that the Leathers switch is a rather benine excuse to insight the far more interesting discussion on the riders dislike for each other. Or if your Jum, another excuse to continue his Rossi delusions, which are now beyond obsession......

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Both Superbikeplanet and GPone made mild reference to a pressure other than mere business as usual. Delusion? Unlike you, others know that the sport revolves around the Golden Boy, so anything related to him always has ramifications. You're just not willing to recognize it. Sure, it may be nothing, but by the same token, there may be something. Most naive, head in sand types like yourself never can read between the lines, that is until they start claiming that Yamaha sabotaged Rossi, switched Tech3 bikes, gave him .... tires suddenly, etc. Talk about "delusions" eh?

Talpa said:

I find it very interesting that the top four riders don't really like each other at all, with varied incidents compounding the separate issues of the years, probably the best relationship would be between Dani and Rossi, otherwise its just pure despise. Which is not unusual or surprising at all. It won't be long before Jorge can't stand Ben either, and certainly vic-versa. It will start when Ben Beats him, which will be soon.



No doubt Dani and Stoner's relationship will sour even more. As it is the way, especially with teammates who are directly competing week in week out. The mind games are great fun to watch..........

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Well I find it interesting that Rossi has been the catalyst to much of this dislike you speak of (that is if he had a human flaw of diva temprament, which we know he doesn't, because frankly Deities don't suffer from human defects, right)… Biaggi, Gibernau, Stoner, Lorenzo, all relegated by the Yellow Army as villains, and his worshipping throngs such as yourself follow suit as sheep. Btw, Dani and Rossi getting along, haha. Uhm, when did you start watching Googling GP? I doubt they are on eachother’s Xmas list buddy. I really doubt Lorenzo and Spies will get into a ........ squabble of egos; that, it seems, has been reserved for Rossi and Pedrosa. And why not, they both suffer from the same complex that only mindless worship could repress upon a human man--the Yellow Army and Alberto Puig are not that different!