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Qualifying is still a problem from him, with fit Lorenzo and without Dani binning his bike he would have quailfied in 6th place and the fact his fastest lap of the race was quicker than his qualifying lap shows they still need to sort few things out. I think the jury is still out on that one weather he found something at Aragon, we just need to wait another couple of rounds.
I have to disagree. The elation was so obvious after the Aragon test, besides Vale certainly wouldn't publicly declare a major breakthrough if there hadn't been significant progress made - what would be gained by that? Added to which, it was a shot across the bows pre-Assen. You'd have to have lived in a cave for the last decade not to take that seriously..and believe me, the entire paddock did. He then accordingly, clear of any torpedos, sunk the opposition. Watch the race again and the three passes - true to his word...the front end is screaming confidence on the brakes...that's what Rossi does and hasn't been able to do since 2010. I was fairly confident that given time back with the bike and some valuable Rossi feedback, Brent and Alex would find something. Can we have the stiffer carcass tyre back again? Tell you what, if we did, of all the riders out there, Valentino would be a very hard man to beat.
EDIT: Just lost half this post, which is a pisser, because I was defending Pedrosa again.
The question remains about Vale, now he truly has the bike of choice, can he run with the likes of Dani, Jorge, Marc ... and Cal!!?? I would be inclined to say yes, although I still maintain that just through Lorenzo alone, soft tyres aside, this is the stiffest competition he's ever faced in his career.
Defending Dani again? Yeah, why not, we need some balance on here. Going into this race I absolutely guarantee that Dani fully entertained the very real possibility of surrendering his Championship lead. Perhaps he should have capitalised on Jorge's crash more than he did ...easy to say from the comfort of a recliner, prodding posts on a resident keyboard, when all you have to manage is takin' a piss after a dozen cold beers as opposed to a set of tyres that have gone south and a lack of front and rear feel.
Dani dislikes Assen, in spite of the fact that it is renowned for being a 'riders circuit', but then so is Philip Island and he doesn't go particularly well there either. Jorge's crash was a indeed a God send and because of it, Pedrosa still leads the championship. I keep harping back to 2005 because the Dani of now reminds me of the guile, finesse and a racecraft that earned him three world championships and he knows what it takes to win one. Even Dani's greatest critics would be hard pressed to deny that he's a keenly intelligent rider. Dani has one eye on that championship, far from capitulation, given the vague feeling that overcame the bike a fourth is far preferable to a gymnastics display though the gravel or an excursion into an air fence. As our good friend 'Sir Loin' so astutely pointed out, an unexpected nap on an air fence cost him the 2008 title. I have always maintained that. Pedrosa had to finish in front of Jorge, and given the circumstances he was able to do that. Fleeing Schiphol, Dani won't look back, he'll be looking forward...to Sachsenring, Laguna, Brno, Aragon. Sepang, Motegi and Valencia to name but a few.
It strikes me that the Dani detractors are willing him to .... up..believe me, for many reasons I don't want him to lift that title, but I'd sooner Jorge did it instead on his own merit and fair and square on the track.
Ultimately, who still leads the championship and who is best placed for the circuits ahead? Call that circumstance and I'll cite 15 championships off the top of my head that have been secured thus.
