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Rossi sets deadline for retirement decision

It has to suck though. I mean.. He is still capable of front row/pole position times. He still has world class race craft. He is literally  2/10ths off the absolute fastest guys on the planet on a bike that doesn't quite suit his riding style.


 


Alas it is all smoke and mirrors. You are absolute spot on. Age, his personal riding flaws (he has never been the stellar qualifier, nor a good race starter) and the fact that he is not willing to race at the utter limit or just over the limit every lap.


 


The King (boy king) is dead. Long live the King!
 
Duc999
3707041387435442

It has to suck though. I mean.. He is still capable of front row/pole position times. He still has world class race craft. He is literally  2/10ths off the absolute fastest guys on the planet on a bike that doesn't quite suit his riding style.


 


Alas it is all smoke and mirrors. You are absolute spot on. Age, his personal riding flaws (he has never been the stellar qualifier, nor a good race starter) and the fact that he is not willing to race at the utter limit or just over the limit every lap.


 


The King (boy king) is dead. Long live the King!
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This past season, he was more than twice that much off per lap on average. That sounds like a lot, and it is a lot, but considering he finished a comfy 4th in the championship, it goes to show the level the top 3 are riding at. Think about that, you are one of the top 4-5 riders in the world, but 4/10ths  a  lap slower than the top guys. They are literally on a different plain
 
povol
3707091387471669

This past season, he was more than twice that much off per lap on average. That sounds like a lot, and it is a lot, but considering he finished a comfy 4th in the championship, it goes to show the level the top 3 are riding at. Think about that, you are one of the top 4-5 riders in the world, but 4/10ths  a  lap slower than the top guys. They are literally on a different plain
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What's interesting is that, if you got rid of the top 3, MotoGP would probably look exactly like it did in the early 2000s, with Rossi looking nearly invincible.
 
rezonator636
3707131387481703

What's interesting is that, if you got rid of the top 3, MotoGP would probably look exactly like it did in the early 2000s, with Rossi looking nearly invincible.
Click to expand...


Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Marquez better watch their backs. Uncle Carmello might realize this and make the call to La Cosa Nostra.A few untimely accidents and viola, its 2004 again
 
BarryMachine
3698091385607039

The real question is, Is rossi "legend" material? Given that he was really only a cruising caretaker ( ie. the winningest rider in a low quality time of GP ), and he could not compete when riders, of real riding talent, came back into the series.
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Yawn. So Rossi never beat Lorenzo on equal machinery in 2008-2009 then? And please don't say it's because Lorenzo was getting up to speed; we've all seen what's possible from a rookie.
 
nomad
3707941388874497

Yawn. So Rossi never beat Lorenzo on equal machinery in 2008-2009 then? And please don't say it's because Lorenzo was getting up to speed; we've all seen what's possible from a rookie.
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We've seen what's possible from one rookie, and it's very likely we'll never see anything like it again. MM is light-years ahead of where Lorenzo was at the end of his rookie year. 
 
rezonator636
3707951388878193

 

We've seen what's possible from one rookie, and it's very likely we'll never see anything like it again. MM is light-years ahead of where Lorenzo was at the end of his rookie year. 
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It was a Honda Marquez title in 2013, he would not have won the title if he'd been on the factory Yamaha...
 
MigsAngel
3708011388915264

It was a Honda Marquez title in 2013, he would not have won the title if he'd been on the factory Yamaha...
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That would depend on who was on his honda if he wasn't
 
nomad
3707941388874497

Yawn. So Rossi never beat Lorenzo on equal machinery in 2008-2009 then? And please don't say it's because Lorenzo was getting up to speed; we've all seen what's possible from a rookie.
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it pains me so say this, but argubly lorenzo had to push much harder in 08/09 to be at the front than marquez had to last year.


granted, he did have his fair share of very good luck to not be injured in all those FP falls . but come race day he was more or less as poised as can be IMO
 
cliché guevara
3708031388933740

it pains me so say this, but argubly lorenzo had to push much harder in 08/09 to be at the front than marquez had to last year.


granted, he did have his fair share of very good luck to not be injured in all those FP falls . but come race day he was more or less as poised as can be IMO
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Lets hope that Yamaha finds some way to up their game. Tho Marquez is talented - luck always plays a major part in MGP. He's had more


than his share. Remember all the things that happened to Stoner when he seemed so unbeatable.
 
Keshav
3708061388982061

Lets hope that Yamaha finds some way to up their game. Tho Marquez is talented - luck always plays a major part in MGP. He's had more


than his share. Remember all the things that happened to Stoner when he seemed so unbeatable.
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As they say 'It is better to be lucky than good'.....but when you can get both then you are more likely to  be unstoppable.....


Marquez, Stoner, JLo, and Rossi have all been both lucky and good at the right times....Marquez was boy wonder in 2013, but i dont think his luck will hold out....
 
nomad
3707941388874497

Yawn. So Rossi never beat Lorenzo on equal machinery in 2008-2009 then? And please don't say it's because Lorenzo was getting up to speed; we've all seen what's possible from a rookie.
Click to expand...


Lorenzo had equal machinery in 08/09?  Really?  I think you are confusing equal equipment with being in the same team.  Do you recall the 'Wall' which was required because of a certain dummy spit and threat to leave and go to F1/WRC/Superbike which resulted in Rossi on Bridgestone and Lorenzo on Michelin?  Do you recall the threat to leave in 2010 if Lorenzo was given equal equipment?  


 


Funny now that Rossi is having to ride a bike not designed especially for him, it is the bikes fault he is losing.  Yet Lorenzo has no excuses for not beating Rossi in a rookie year on a bike painted the same colour as Rossi's.


 


I wish I could go back and rewrite my history the way Rossi's is rewritten constantly to prop up this fairytale that he is the GOAT.
 
Mental Anarchist
3708091389000706

Lorenzo had equal machinery in 08/09?  Really?  I think you are confusing equal equipment with being in the same team.  Do you recall the 'Wall' which was required because of a certain dummy spit and threat to leave and go to F1/WRC/Superbike which resulted in Rossi on Bridgestone and Lorenzo on Michelin?  Do you recall the threat to leave in 2010 if Lorenzo was given equal equipment?  


 


Funny now that Rossi is having to ride a bike not designed especially for him, it is the bikes fault he is losing.  Yet Lorenzo has no excuses for not beating Rossi in a rookie year on a bike painted the same colour as Rossi's.


 


I wish I could go back and rewrite my history the way Rossi's is rewritten constantly to prop up this fairytale that he is the GOAT.
Click to expand...


 


I think Rossi's already done that. His inability to make the Ducati work put a huge dent in his legacy, and his inability to keep the top three in sight is only hurting him further.


 


I've said it before, and I'll say it again: everyone says Rossi is slowing down due to age, but if you took away Lorenzo, Pedrosa, and Marquez, he would be running away with the world championship. His lackluster performance last year isn't just down to age; the top three (JLo and MM especially) have taken the game to another level, and he simply hasn't been able to keep up.
 
rezonator636
3708101389020407

I think Rossi's already done that. His inability to make the Ducati work put a huge dent in his legacy, and his inability to keep the top three in sight is only hurting him further.


 


I've said it before, and I'll say it again: everyone says Rossi is slowing down due to age, but if you took away Lorenzo, Pedrosa, and Marquez, he would be running away with the world championship. His lackluster performance last year isn't just down to age; the top three (JLo and MM especially) have taken the game to another level, and he simply hasn't been able to keep up.
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All fair and certainly would seem to be very true.


 


However as someone who has been accused of being anti-Rossi at times, one should also ask and consider the very real prospect that the aforementioned three (and Stoner) all were forced to raise their games because of Rossi.


 


IMO, he may not be as good as they are today, but they (and us, the fans) need to pay a form of thanks to Rossi for setting the standard and forcing others to exceed that same standard were they to be winners. Where we are extremely lucky is that the hunger of some younger guys has occured at the same point in time such that we now have three riders the equal and better of Rossi, where often in the past it was a single rider.
 
Gaz
3708121389085824

All fair and certainly would seem to be very true.


 


However as someone who has been accused of being anti-Rossi at times, one should also ask and consider the very real prospect that the aforementioned three (and Stoner) all were forced to raise their games because of Rossi.


 


IMO, he may not be as good as they are today, but they (and us, the fans) need to pay a form of thanks to Rossi for setting the standard and forcing others to exceed that same standard were they to be winners. Where we are extremely lucky is that the hunger of some younger guys has occured at the same point in time such that we now have three riders the equal and better of Rossi, where often in the past it was a single rider.
Click to expand...


 


Very good point. Rossi took the game to a new level when he came into the premier class, with everyone else scrambling to catch up. Now it's the same thing today. And we really are in a phenomenal situation, rider-wise: two different riders (JLo and MM) on two different manufacturers, with wildly different riding styles but both capable of winning the world title. How many race series in the world can say they have this kind of situation?
 
Gaz
3708121389085824

All fair and certainly would seem to be very true.


 


However as someone who has been accused of being anti-Rossi at times, one should also ask and consider the very real prospect that the aforementioned three (and Stoner) all were forced to raise their games because of Rossi.


 


IMO, he may not be as good as they are today, but they (and us, the fans) need to pay a form of thanks to Rossi for setting the standard and forcing others to exceed that same standard were they to be winners. Where we are extremely lucky is that the hunger of some younger guys has occured at the same point in time such that we now have three riders the equal and better of Rossi, where often in the past it was a single rider.
Click to expand...


 I dont think there is any doubt that Rossi's  popularity and riches spurred many of todays riders to the heights that they have reached, That was their motivation, BUT, their performance has kept up with the increased speeds, whereas Rossi seems to have hit a plateau where he is stuck at a comfort level that the 4 mentioned riders blew through and kept on going to another level, even Pedrosa. It wasnt that long ago that comparing Rossi to Pedrosa was a joke,  they were not on the same planet. Now its the complete opposite. Pedrosa has advanced with the machinery, while Rossi is stuck running times that are 2-3 years behind the performance curve, which tells me he has reached the highest level his ball sack will alow.
 

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