<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Apr 4 2009, 03:27 PM)
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He did it on the spare!
Completely, and no matter what the numbers say, irrespective of the fact that on both paper and laptop alike the settings that you've dialed in are identical, your No.2 machine never feels the same as the No.1. I don't think that would've even occurred to him.
What impresses me so much from watching Spies over the last few years is the fact that nothing seems to bother him. Like Povol say's, when the competition steps up he just raises the bar accordingly. He's found himself on the world stage, and he's responded, which is why I believe that he could have gone straight to GP, on a Suzuki, and pushed for rostrum finishes as a rookie. He's not like some of these riders that can
only peel off fast lap times to order, but are nowhere on raceday. When the flag drops, you always know he'll deliver.
The other thing of note is that the Ricardo Tormo circuit has always been kind to the twins in WSB. Ben himself was saying that if they can be competitive here, then they can deliver all season.
Finally, so far as I'm concerned the track's new to him. Yeah he rode a few laps last season on the RGV, but that was press day, the conditions were questionable, and the bike would've probably been running a more 'friendly' mapping as is generally the case for scribes and guest riders alike.
Good to see Francis 'Fatters' bikes both in the final session - Kagy's so damn brave.
Regarding Ten Kate, I still think that Rea will only get stronger as this year progresses, and he's another that you can bank on to be quick come race day. Checa did well to finish where he did - again on his spare bike. There are certain riders, no matter where they go that always seem to be plagued by chatter. I have no idea whether it's the way they set up their machine which makes them susceptible or exacerbates this. Whoever Colin rides for the problem seems to rear its head at some stage. Last year the Michelin's were undoubtably the underlying factor, and we'll ignore the wrong turn that Yamaha took in chassis development for '06 because Vale himself was crippled by it too. I can think of every ride that Colin's had being derailed afflicted by chatter at some stage of the season, bar the SP1 an SP2, (but IMO a big twin is less liable to suffer such set up woes as a four). I've lost count of the times we've seen the tornado retreat to pit during testing or a race weekend because the bikes unrideable due to chatter. So much so, when he was at Gresini Honda his garage was laughably referred to as the 'chatter box' - (in part a reference to his garrulous nature no doubt). Perhaps it is his 'front end' riding style..I dunno, but Checa is another rider who always seems to complain of similar problems, and Christ could you see it. The blade was visibly skittering into and out of every corner, it was unsettling to watch let alone ride. That Ten Kate squad is so sorted, so technically sussed that its unthinkable that such a set up malady should strike one of their machines....you'd hope that they manage to dial this out come the race tomorrow, but how much of their ability to do so is limited by the rider? Checa comes with a mountain of experience, and where not in the same league as Troy Corser, supposedly a raft of developmental credentials. I've never seen much evidence of this. Max is another bemoaning chronic chatter this weekend, and another rider that has seemingly suffered from bouts of it it all of his career., but then Max is renowned for his inability to ride around problems (and people come to think about it).
He did it on the spare!
