Forcing a rider to the edge of the track is punishable but in that instance it wasn't a big deal because they both had to slow down so much a crash was NOT forced. Marc understandably wanted to get by Rossi and was tired of waiting but he turned into Rossi's bike. I hold Rossi responsible for that, BUT Rossi did NOT force Marc to turn into him. Had Marc judged a bit better and waited .5 seconds he never would've hit Rossi's bike and there wouldn't have been a crash (at least not at that corner, but they probably would've kept up the battle until something happened).
You will never and I mean never, ride a sportbike, accelerate, and be able to kick another rider off their bike. I imagine you could walk and chew gum at the same time if you concentrate more than you are in this thread.
How many years of riding sportbikes did it take you gain the ability to blast another rider off their bike with a simple flick of your knee?
The racing line doesn't apply when Rossi's non-racing maneuver caused them to slow down so much. Marc would not have completely run off track if he didn't turn in exactly at that moment, he was not moving fast enough. I agree Rossi was at fault, I just look at the situation realistically instead of trying to embellish it with tales of kicks and knee flicks that send other riders flying.
What his leg is doing in that picture is purely up to your vivid imagination. Maybe it's developing a space craft, working on a cancer cure, defying gravity, or causing every other rider in the vicinity to fall off their motorcycle... it's all up to what you can dream up.
Thats the problem there is no place for a non-racing maneuver on track. The only thing I disagree about is Marc had room. That corner tightens at its end. If Marc didn't turn in when he did he would have ran off track. I do agree that it that it wasnt a kick but it was a knee flick at a moment when Marcs bike was leaning and it caught the bars sending the bike to the ground. I believe it is very possible that the knee flick was instinctual because of the closing space. Still 100% Rossi's fault.
If you're driving slowly around a race track, you can turn much tighter in a corner than would be possible at racing speed. They were both at such a low speed, they had the ability to square off the corner. You seam fairly reasonable, how strong do you think Rossi's abductor muscles are to flick his knee outward with enough force to cause another motorcycle to crash? Compare that scenario with one rider leaning and turning their bike into another. Which is more realistic in causing a crash?
It's absolutely possible to lean a bike at low speed without falling, stunt riders do it all the time. But again, Rossi and Marc slowed down so much they were able to go deeper into the corner and then make a tight turn that would've been impossible at race pace. My point is simply that because of their reduced speed Marc didn't actually have to turn exactly when he did but it wasn't his fault for being in that situation. It's still Rossi's fault for the non-racing maneuver.
Stunt bikes? These aren't stunt bikes. Those guys put cages on their bike because of how many times they drop it trying to understand the slowest speed and turning they can. And how do they pick the bike up? By accelerating it.
