Joined Jul 2006
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I LOVE GPNEWS
hey ........the links right there.
^
MotoGP race report, Donington
Return to the 2007 form. Good for Stoner, bad for us
(23/06/2008)
Only moments before the start of the MotoGP race the French F1 race had finished. A seamless blend to all but the sharpest viewer.
Before Sunday the great British hope James Toseland was hoping to do the impossible and win his home GP. It was so long ago that a Brit, or anybody who knew a Brit, won the British GP that Wilhelm Röntgen couldn't even spell 'radiation'.
Toseland, the boring sod, was secretly hoping to put a new chapter, and therefore a second page, in the 'British GP book of success'
The crowd wanted it. They were dressed all in yellow. They have been for the past six years now polluting cranier curves like a infested batch of fast growing killer custard kelp. And probably just as informed. But this year many of the thousands of '46's in font size 800 had been replaced by blocks of blue as the Rossi yellow clan switched to Toseland yellow.
Qualifying for Toseland hadn't gone to plan. Unless his plan was to fall off twice on his flying lap. But that didn't mean much. We've all seen 'Days of Thunder' so we know miracles can happen. How did he pull her in real life?
And a miracle did happen. In the 125 race the post-foetus British starlet Scott Redding won the race. The crowd didn't start cheering until two minutes after as a) the knowledgeable ones were in total shock
the un-knowledgeable ones hadn't heard of him and weren't really watching the non-Rossi/Toseland race.
This, unfortunately, totally screwed James Toseland. He, like all of us with a GCSE in maths, knew that Redding's victory meant the British public weren't now due a home win until roughly the same time as scientists find a cure for papercuts.
Into turn one of the MotoGP race, already defeated by the odds, James decided not to prolong the agony and to take the first corner sliding along the track towards to gravel trap with his bike carefully perched on his head. Even the simple Toseland crowd, most of whom couldn't tell the difference between his race bike and a trombone, knew that this wasn't the fastest way around Redgate.
His dream was over. And so was his manager Roger Burnett's dream of spouting his 'taking it to the next level' drivel again.
The only time we'd see James again was when he was being lapped.
One might argue less playing in pubs, more working out which tyres to use would be sensible advice to Toseland.
So, with Toseland more out than Melandri on the podium, who did win?
Casey Stoner. And how.
Back in 2001 there was a rider by the name of Kenny Roberts Junior. His friends called him Kenny, therefore everyone in the known universe called him Junior. Junior was the world champion - he'd won the championship the year before in a freak season on a freak manufacturer neither of whom would ever win again. In 2001 Junior's greasy grip on the title was fading faster than a 1998 NW200 t-shirt in the wash.
Junior was angry with the world. He kicked out, sulked, cried and generally behaved like an only child because he couldn't win anymore. He wanted to be noticed - but nobody did because he was now too far back.
In the end it all spiralled downhill like Gary Radice - the helta skelta addict. Junior took comfort in comfort food as the rest of us took comfort in him not annoying us.
It looked to all the world like the seven year itch had returned in the guise of Casey Stoner. Last year his freaky dominance was brilliant but this season things had turned grimmer than a Finnish reaper convention. Gradually the sulks and moaning had started and we all were once more reminded to why we didn't like the cocky Aussie in the first place. When would he start getting fat?
No time soon thankfully as the 'other' Casey was now back. Outstanding all weekend come rain or (theoretically speaking) shine the youth-faced Aussie was in another league.
Qualifying saw him half a second faster than main rival Rossi in second. In the race he simple rode away.
Behind Stoner finished Rossi then Pedrosa. This was the real 'battle' of the race…and it was every much a battle as toddler's tantrum.
Pedrosa had started from the third row. In qualifying the gusty winds caught out the non-anchored Pedrosa blowing him up and out of the circuit's perimeter into the horrendous traffic jam of people attempting to leave last year's race. By the time he'd crawled under the security fence and back to his garage the hour was up and his qualifying ruined.
Thankfully in the race, and with much thanks to Velcro, Pedosa wasn't to be blown off again, and set about storming through the field like an ant through a bison ranch. It looked like maybe he was the 'man' to catch Stoner and make a race of the race. Sadly though by the time he'd caught and passed Rossi in second Pedrobot's internal coding had failed:-
if ($passing moves >= 2) {
post_Error['excitement chip failure'];
$riding_Mode = preset_modes['sit for what you have'];
// Quota inexplicitly exceeded, report error and revert riding style
Such software failing allowed Rossi to retake the special Spaniard and cruise to a simple second as Pedrosa put up so little a fight it would have embarrassed a Frenchman.
Bacon boy Edwards finished in a superb fourth ahead of Andrea 'it's a silver bike not white' Dovizioso.
Returning to form was MotoGP's savour King Midas Lorenzo. Having looked like he'd lost his golden touch in the last few rounds the self-loving Spaniard roared back into action starting almost last and finishing sixth.
Loony's pass on farmhand Hayden was typical Lorenzo: Brake two seconds later…worry about the corner at some other time.
But the biggest shock of the weekend (apart from the guy who urinated on the electric cattle fence whilst stuck in traffic) came from the fact that the Kurtis cloned Antony West was not utter rubbish. Indeed he finished in the top ten - without 11 riders being excluded. Which, to put that into some perspective, would be like a decent rider finishing in front of the race winner. A good showing.
Loser time.
The slow white Hondas (SWH) were out and about again. After his crash fest season Randy de Puniet was told to ride at a pace that he wouldn't fall off at - and did so finishing 47 seconds off the pace.
Melandri was awful. Again. Beaten by the satellite Dukes and, amusingly, by Alex de Angelis who fell off and remounted.
But the biggest losers were of course us. The viewers. Casey's win reminded us of his dominance of 2007 - and the utter ..... races that it presented to us
Forwarded by Carl Fogarty - the only way he'd get in it.
The one you'd only kick once.
hey ........the links right there.
MotoGP race report, Donington
Return to the 2007 form. Good for Stoner, bad for us
(23/06/2008)
Only moments before the start of the MotoGP race the French F1 race had finished. A seamless blend to all but the sharpest viewer.
Before Sunday the great British hope James Toseland was hoping to do the impossible and win his home GP. It was so long ago that a Brit, or anybody who knew a Brit, won the British GP that Wilhelm Röntgen couldn't even spell 'radiation'.
Toseland, the boring sod, was secretly hoping to put a new chapter, and therefore a second page, in the 'British GP book of success'
The crowd wanted it. They were dressed all in yellow. They have been for the past six years now polluting cranier curves like a infested batch of fast growing killer custard kelp. And probably just as informed. But this year many of the thousands of '46's in font size 800 had been replaced by blocks of blue as the Rossi yellow clan switched to Toseland yellow.
Qualifying for Toseland hadn't gone to plan. Unless his plan was to fall off twice on his flying lap. But that didn't mean much. We've all seen 'Days of Thunder' so we know miracles can happen. How did he pull her in real life?
And a miracle did happen. In the 125 race the post-foetus British starlet Scott Redding won the race. The crowd didn't start cheering until two minutes after as a) the knowledgeable ones were in total shock
This, unfortunately, totally screwed James Toseland. He, like all of us with a GCSE in maths, knew that Redding's victory meant the British public weren't now due a home win until roughly the same time as scientists find a cure for papercuts.
Into turn one of the MotoGP race, already defeated by the odds, James decided not to prolong the agony and to take the first corner sliding along the track towards to gravel trap with his bike carefully perched on his head. Even the simple Toseland crowd, most of whom couldn't tell the difference between his race bike and a trombone, knew that this wasn't the fastest way around Redgate.
His dream was over. And so was his manager Roger Burnett's dream of spouting his 'taking it to the next level' drivel again.
The only time we'd see James again was when he was being lapped.
One might argue less playing in pubs, more working out which tyres to use would be sensible advice to Toseland.
So, with Toseland more out than Melandri on the podium, who did win?
Casey Stoner. And how.
Back in 2001 there was a rider by the name of Kenny Roberts Junior. His friends called him Kenny, therefore everyone in the known universe called him Junior. Junior was the world champion - he'd won the championship the year before in a freak season on a freak manufacturer neither of whom would ever win again. In 2001 Junior's greasy grip on the title was fading faster than a 1998 NW200 t-shirt in the wash.
Junior was angry with the world. He kicked out, sulked, cried and generally behaved like an only child because he couldn't win anymore. He wanted to be noticed - but nobody did because he was now too far back.
In the end it all spiralled downhill like Gary Radice - the helta skelta addict. Junior took comfort in comfort food as the rest of us took comfort in him not annoying us.
It looked to all the world like the seven year itch had returned in the guise of Casey Stoner. Last year his freaky dominance was brilliant but this season things had turned grimmer than a Finnish reaper convention. Gradually the sulks and moaning had started and we all were once more reminded to why we didn't like the cocky Aussie in the first place. When would he start getting fat?
No time soon thankfully as the 'other' Casey was now back. Outstanding all weekend come rain or (theoretically speaking) shine the youth-faced Aussie was in another league.
Qualifying saw him half a second faster than main rival Rossi in second. In the race he simple rode away.
Behind Stoner finished Rossi then Pedrosa. This was the real 'battle' of the race…and it was every much a battle as toddler's tantrum.
Pedrosa had started from the third row. In qualifying the gusty winds caught out the non-anchored Pedrosa blowing him up and out of the circuit's perimeter into the horrendous traffic jam of people attempting to leave last year's race. By the time he'd crawled under the security fence and back to his garage the hour was up and his qualifying ruined.
Thankfully in the race, and with much thanks to Velcro, Pedosa wasn't to be blown off again, and set about storming through the field like an ant through a bison ranch. It looked like maybe he was the 'man' to catch Stoner and make a race of the race. Sadly though by the time he'd caught and passed Rossi in second Pedrobot's internal coding had failed:-
if ($passing moves >= 2) {
post_Error['excitement chip failure'];
$riding_Mode = preset_modes['sit for what you have'];
// Quota inexplicitly exceeded, report error and revert riding style
Such software failing allowed Rossi to retake the special Spaniard and cruise to a simple second as Pedrosa put up so little a fight it would have embarrassed a Frenchman.
Bacon boy Edwards finished in a superb fourth ahead of Andrea 'it's a silver bike not white' Dovizioso.
Returning to form was MotoGP's savour King Midas Lorenzo. Having looked like he'd lost his golden touch in the last few rounds the self-loving Spaniard roared back into action starting almost last and finishing sixth.
Loony's pass on farmhand Hayden was typical Lorenzo: Brake two seconds later…worry about the corner at some other time.
But the biggest shock of the weekend (apart from the guy who urinated on the electric cattle fence whilst stuck in traffic) came from the fact that the Kurtis cloned Antony West was not utter rubbish. Indeed he finished in the top ten - without 11 riders being excluded. Which, to put that into some perspective, would be like a decent rider finishing in front of the race winner. A good showing.
Loser time.
The slow white Hondas (SWH) were out and about again. After his crash fest season Randy de Puniet was told to ride at a pace that he wouldn't fall off at - and did so finishing 47 seconds off the pace.
Melandri was awful. Again. Beaten by the satellite Dukes and, amusingly, by Alex de Angelis who fell off and remounted.
But the biggest losers were of course us. The viewers. Casey's win reminded us of his dominance of 2007 - and the utter ..... races that it presented to us
Forwarded by Carl Fogarty - the only way he'd get in it.
The one you'd only kick once.
