Leaving It to the Judges
It is an old adage in combat sports - never leave the decision to the judges. Typically the saying is taken at a high and singular level as a caution to fighters on the fickle nature of the judge's criteria. Judges are not in the ring with the protagonists, and the points tally after the final bell do not always tally the way a fighter thinks that they should. Yet behind this saying is a deeper level of meaning that, like a passage from Sun Tsu, is perhaps even more important. It speaks to the dangers of waiting too long, of expending your resources in allowing a contest to go to the bitter end in the hopes that you will prevail. Many a fighter has approached the closing stages of the final round leading in the points game, only to find themselves barely conscious on the mat and wondering where it all went wrong. Sometimes, if you have an advantage, it is better to exploit it to the fullest rather than nurse it to the end. Round 10 served as a global classroom for just this lesson.
Marco Melandri - The Italian was, without doubt, the first man with his back to the canvas when the German round came to a close. Having shown promise all weekend long in practice, Melandri made a strong start in race 1 that saw him briefly snatch the lead before being forced to surrender it once again. With Sykes's neon green Kawasaki as a carrot in front, Marco shadowed his championship rival for much of race 1. Then as the final laps approached he pounced. Uncharacteristically Sykes had been unable to break away once assuming the lead, and Melandri's definitive charge to the front seemed destined to take him to victory. That is, until the absolute cluster that led to the first red flag occured and the race was halted prematurely. Plans for victory scuppered Melandri started race 2 with renewed determination, however the tempo was very different. Melandri now found himself embattled with teammate Chaz Davies, and the Englishman was just as determined to earn a nice bonus from BMW. Complicating matters further was the pesky RSV4 of Eugene Laverty that would sandwich itself between the German bikes and attempt to pounce on any mistake. As the race drew to the final laps Melandri was winding himself up for a last effort lunge to the front, only to find the race red flagged again for debris on the track. Once again Melandri found his plans scrapped as he was awarded only for the position on the last lap. Once again he had left it too late. Having lost the potential for accolades in round 10, it may be that round 11 will see a more daring Melandri than has been shown in the past few rounds.
Chaz Davies - If Marco Melandri left Germany with the blackest eye of the title contenders, Davies left with one of the biggest smiles. Equally fast through the weekend, Chaz found himself battling with the leading group throughout race 1. Despite several attempts the Goldbit BMW rider was unable to make a convincing move on his rivals, which proved fortuitous in the end. Leading the forward charge, Melandri was the first rider to spot oil on the track and take a line of avoidance which the others (including Chaz) followed. The ensuing carnage dropped Chaz's final position down to third, yet despite the well earned podium BMW remain with a goose's egg for the winner's circle for their home race. From the start of race 2 it was clear that it was a different race for Chaz. Wasting no time Chaz brushed aside all comers to elbow his way to the front of the pack, and despite being pushed back by Melandri at varying points in the race never let the loss of position stand. As a result, when the red flag waved to prematurely end the festivities Chaz climbed aboard the top step of the podium. While his third win of the season is a momentous occasion for Chaz, the 'W' marks a historic first for BMW that they have struggled to earn since entering the series. The win will be a large boost to Chaz's confidence going into round 11 and facing the challenges of learning a new track and continuing to prove himself to the new marque. However following the patter that he established aboard both the Triumph Daytona 675 in SuperSport and Aprilia's customer RSV4 in SuperBike, we should see more forceful riding from the British rider in the future.
Sylvain Guintoli - Aprilia's newest factory rider had a hard day at the office. Guintoli entered the weekend nursing a shoulder injury that would plague him past the race and well into th following days. On the very physical track, much was asked of Guintoli's body. While his qualifying time was not the best, Guintoli made up for it with brilliant starts in both races. Unfortunately despite a strong showing for race 1 Guintoli's defense of his championship lead took a strong hit. Though he gained many places between the hole shot and the final (red) flag he ended the race in fourth place to Sykes' first. With much to do, the crew pulled the bike back into the pits and get to work. When the lights went out once again Sykes found himself struggling while the the leading trio of Melandri, Davies and Laverty galloped away to the horizon. With a tasty carrot dangling before him, Guintoli put in fast lap after lap until he had closed the gap with Sykes to nothing. With the remaining seconds clicking down Guintoli began winding himself up for a climactic charge to fourth, only to be shut down by the second red flag. Had he not left it to the end Sykes may not be leading the championship by a single point. But Guintoli did, and now Sykes does. Coming into Istanbul, however, Guintoli took time to heal by missing Aprilia's post-race test. Can he fight back (again)?
It is an old adage in combat sports - never leave the decision to the judges. Typically the saying is taken at a high and singular level as a caution to fighters on the fickle nature of the judge's criteria. Judges are not in the ring with the protagonists, and the points tally after the final bell do not always tally the way a fighter thinks that they should. Yet behind this saying is a deeper level of meaning that, like a passage from Sun Tsu, is perhaps even more important. It speaks to the dangers of waiting too long, of expending your resources in allowing a contest to go to the bitter end in the hopes that you will prevail. Many a fighter has approached the closing stages of the final round leading in the points game, only to find themselves barely conscious on the mat and wondering where it all went wrong. Sometimes, if you have an advantage, it is better to exploit it to the fullest rather than nurse it to the end. Round 10 served as a global classroom for just this lesson.
Marco Melandri - The Italian was, without doubt, the first man with his back to the canvas when the German round came to a close. Having shown promise all weekend long in practice, Melandri made a strong start in race 1 that saw him briefly snatch the lead before being forced to surrender it once again. With Sykes's neon green Kawasaki as a carrot in front, Marco shadowed his championship rival for much of race 1. Then as the final laps approached he pounced. Uncharacteristically Sykes had been unable to break away once assuming the lead, and Melandri's definitive charge to the front seemed destined to take him to victory. That is, until the absolute cluster that led to the first red flag occured and the race was halted prematurely. Plans for victory scuppered Melandri started race 2 with renewed determination, however the tempo was very different. Melandri now found himself embattled with teammate Chaz Davies, and the Englishman was just as determined to earn a nice bonus from BMW. Complicating matters further was the pesky RSV4 of Eugene Laverty that would sandwich itself between the German bikes and attempt to pounce on any mistake. As the race drew to the final laps Melandri was winding himself up for a last effort lunge to the front, only to find the race red flagged again for debris on the track. Once again Melandri found his plans scrapped as he was awarded only for the position on the last lap. Once again he had left it too late. Having lost the potential for accolades in round 10, it may be that round 11 will see a more daring Melandri than has been shown in the past few rounds.
Chaz Davies - If Marco Melandri left Germany with the blackest eye of the title contenders, Davies left with one of the biggest smiles. Equally fast through the weekend, Chaz found himself battling with the leading group throughout race 1. Despite several attempts the Goldbit BMW rider was unable to make a convincing move on his rivals, which proved fortuitous in the end. Leading the forward charge, Melandri was the first rider to spot oil on the track and take a line of avoidance which the others (including Chaz) followed. The ensuing carnage dropped Chaz's final position down to third, yet despite the well earned podium BMW remain with a goose's egg for the winner's circle for their home race. From the start of race 2 it was clear that it was a different race for Chaz. Wasting no time Chaz brushed aside all comers to elbow his way to the front of the pack, and despite being pushed back by Melandri at varying points in the race never let the loss of position stand. As a result, when the red flag waved to prematurely end the festivities Chaz climbed aboard the top step of the podium. While his third win of the season is a momentous occasion for Chaz, the 'W' marks a historic first for BMW that they have struggled to earn since entering the series. The win will be a large boost to Chaz's confidence going into round 11 and facing the challenges of learning a new track and continuing to prove himself to the new marque. However following the patter that he established aboard both the Triumph Daytona 675 in SuperSport and Aprilia's customer RSV4 in SuperBike, we should see more forceful riding from the British rider in the future.
Sylvain Guintoli - Aprilia's newest factory rider had a hard day at the office. Guintoli entered the weekend nursing a shoulder injury that would plague him past the race and well into th following days. On the very physical track, much was asked of Guintoli's body. While his qualifying time was not the best, Guintoli made up for it with brilliant starts in both races. Unfortunately despite a strong showing for race 1 Guintoli's defense of his championship lead took a strong hit. Though he gained many places between the hole shot and the final (red) flag he ended the race in fourth place to Sykes' first. With much to do, the crew pulled the bike back into the pits and get to work. When the lights went out once again Sykes found himself struggling while the the leading trio of Melandri, Davies and Laverty galloped away to the horizon. With a tasty carrot dangling before him, Guintoli put in fast lap after lap until he had closed the gap with Sykes to nothing. With the remaining seconds clicking down Guintoli began winding himself up for a climactic charge to fourth, only to be shut down by the second red flag. Had he not left it to the end Sykes may not be leading the championship by a single point. But Guintoli did, and now Sykes does. Coming into Istanbul, however, Guintoli took time to heal by missing Aprilia's post-race test. Can he fight back (again)?
