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Your favorite MotoGP battles in the last 15 years

Arrabbiata1 said:
I thought it was billed as Valentino Rossi v Nicky Hayden - oh hang on.

In fairness I think in order to fully contextualise this comment you probably first have to say Estoril 06, Dani Pedrosa v Nicky Hayden.

Kesh - why did you have to make this the Moto GP era?

.... it...I'm disregarding the OP...

1994 - Abe's Suzuka debut. And find the last lap of 1991 come to think of it...Schwantz, Doohan, Rainey and Kocinski.

1991 - Rainey v Schwantz at Hockenheim - in fact Rainey v Schwantz anywhere.

1979 - Sheene v Roberts at Silverstone. Even if it was staged until the penultimate lap...who gives a .....

And in deference to the OP...

2006 Sachsenring Melandri, Rossi, Hayden and Pedrosa

2015 PI - Already mentioned

2007 Catalunya - Rossi v Stoner
Click to expand...

Largely - I wanted to be watching on the couch - on a big screen and earlier races while classic - are broadcast in low-def which really seem to strain the eyes on the flat-screen. I keep trying to focus my eyes. Better to watch older races on the computer when I'm spending more time upright.


Just watched 2006 Mugello - great race. Crazy crash by Stoner - who otherwise did really great. Nicky - fully confident, Capi kicking ... on brutish looking Duc - and realizing, Rossi hadn't started to do the leg dangle yet.

Been trying to remember the races where Lorenzo and Rossi had really epic battles.
 
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Keshav said:
Largely - I wanted to be watching on the couch - on a big screen and earlier races while classic - are broadcast in low-def which really seem to strain the eyes on the flat-screen. I keep trying to focus my eyes. Better to watch older races on the computer when I'm spending more time upright.


Just watched 2006 Mugello - great race. Crazy crash by Stoner - who otherwise did really great. Nicky - fully confident, Capi kicking ... on brutish looking Duc - and realizing, Rossi hadn't started to do the leg dangle yet.

Been trying to remember the races where Lorenzo and Rossi had really epic battles.
Click to expand...

The first leg dangle was Jerez 2004 while using Gibber for a berm.

The classic Rossi v Lorenzo I believe was Catalunya 2009.

I rate one of Stoners all time best races was at Aragon in 2010. Not a great spectacle but watching him on pretty much the worst version of the Ducati against Lorenzo on the Yam and mostly Pedro on a very well sorted Honda. Remember that Honda was more or less the one Stoner had in 2011. Pedro heaps the pressure on Stoner and they trade fastest laps, which for me looking back is incredible considering what Stoner was riding.
 
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birdman said:
The first leg dangle was Jerez 2004 while using Gibber for a berm.

The classic Rossi v Lorenzo I believe was Catalunya 2009.

I rate one of Stoners all time best races was at Aragon in 2010. Not a great spectacle but watching him on pretty much the worst version of the Ducati against Lorenzo on the Yam and mostly Pedro on a very well sorted Honda. Remember that Honda was more or less the one Stoner had in 2011. Pedro heaps the pressure on Stoner and they trade fastest laps, which for me looking back is incredible considering what Stoner was riding.
Click to expand...

Watched last race of 2009 the other day thinking it was the one you're talking about. Wasn't the battle between Rossi and JL - but still an incredible race. So much trading places all up and down the line and Spies still on the Tech 2 - spirited and unbroken and so full of promise. He was a guy I (for whatever reason) just didn't like much in his Camel Pro days - but he really earned my respect in WSBK - and in his short time in MGP.
 
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I watched Catalunya 07 today thanks for the tip guys. Great battle between Rossi and Stoner. Stoner rode so brilliantly to consistently shut the door on Rossi, now in hindsight that we know what a pig of a bike the Ducati was makes the ride even greater IMO.
 
Arrabbiata1 said:
I thought it was billed as Valentino Rossi v Nicky Hayden - oh hang on.

In fairness I think in order to fully contextualise this comment you probably first have to say Estoril 06, Dani Pedrosa v Nicky Hayden.

Kesh - why did you have to make this the Moto GP era?

.... it...I'm disregarding the OP...

1994 - Abe's Suzuka debut. And find the last lap of 1991 come to think of it...Schwantz, Doohan, Rainey and Kocinski.

1991 - Rainey v Schwantz at Hockenheim - in fact Rainey v Schwantz anywhere.

1979 - Sheene v Roberts at Silverstone. Even if it was staged until the penultimate lap...who gives a .....

And in deference to the OP...

2006 Sachsenring Melandri, Rossi, Hayden and Pedrosa

2015 PI - Already mentioned

2007 Catalunya - Rossi v Stoner
Click to expand...


If I could bring one up from the 500cc era it would be the LeMans (not the current layout) where we had Gardner, Lawson, Schawntz, Sarron and Rainey at times had a battle for the lead only for Gardner to run out of fuel on the last lap. This is the race where the then steel/metal tank was dented by Gardner continually punching it after running out of fuel. Would be lat 80's
 
BarryMachine said:
Catalunya 07 .
Click to expand...

gekko1ro said:
exactly, me too, Catalunya 2007
Click to expand...

Forgotten that one. Boring processional race - and then it went nuts 7 laps from the end. You could almost hear Rossi thinking... oh ...., I have real competition now. Pedrosa made everyone crazy because he was so close and had the potential - but just wouldn't or couldn't commit. Had to turn off the sound - Emmett was screeching so much about whether Vale could get past - as if that were all that mattered.
 
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Qatar 07 and Casey and the Ducati coming out flying. He rode the wheels off it in front of a disbelieving set of commentators.
Even as a Yamaha and then Rossi fan, I loved the fact that after the race, the opposition had the Ducati stripped and inspected as it couldn't possibly be an 800cc bike. Wonder why they didn't have it done sooner, as they saw it tear down the straight in every practice session in the very same way?
Absolute pisser[emoji1]
 
More please! Not everybody has contributed to the list. :furious:
 
Rossi vs Stoner, Phillip Island 2009.

White liveried Ducati Desmosedici, one of the most stunning Ducati bikes I have ever seen with Stoner in full white race suit. I wish they and he had run this combination more than once.

I think someone on here said Stoner was toying with Rossi for the entire race. I don't know if that was true or not as I have never seen anything written anywhere about it. At any rate, it was the closest battle Stoner ever had at Phillip Island, but he seemed to be fully in control. There's one moment later in the race when Stoner just rips open the throttle going over Lukey Heights and the tire is absolutely smoking. In fact, the tire was smoking quite a bit during the race. This was the perfect exhibit for seeing how perfectly matched to Phillip Island he was. Just a mesmerizing performance.
 
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I couldn't pick favorites, without too long a list, and I would forget something and be angry with myself, later. Really. But, that white livery was nice, so I will link a picture to probably my all time favorite livery, instead. :) .... Alright, I changed my mind only because you asked so nice. :rolleyes: Stoner beating Lorenzo at Laguna in 2011. It really is for the pass that Stoner made on the outside of one. Unthinkable at MotoGP speeds, right?
stoner-10_zps510a3bcd.jpg
 
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Iamapony said:
I couldn't pick favorites, without too long a list, and I would forget something and be angry with myself, later. Really. But, that white livery was nice, so I will link a picture to probably my all time favorite livery, instead. :) .... Alright, I changed my mind only because you asked so nice. :rolleyes: Stoner beating Lorenzo at Laguna in 2011. It really is for the pass that Stoner made on the outside of one. Unthinkable at MotoGP speeds, right?
stoner-10_zps510a3bcd.jpg
Click to expand...

Ah but this is the one:

casey-stoner-minichamps-diecast-phillip-island-2009-ducati.jpg


4025156309_9704ddc63e_b.jpg


That overtake at Laguna 2011 was...just mind-blowing. People forget how Stoner had absolutely no fear.
 
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JPSLotus said:
Ah but this is the one:

casey-stoner-minichamps-diecast-phillip-island-2009-ducati.jpg


4025156309_9704ddc63e_b.jpg


That overtake at Laguna 2011 was...just mind-blowing. People forget how Stoner had absolutely no fear.
Click to expand...

I attended that race in 2009 when Stoner rode the White Knight Ducati ... nobody could touch him that weekend, he was unstoppable.
 
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Iamapony said:
I couldn't pick favorites, without too long a list, and I would forget something and be angry with myself, later. Really. But, that white livery was nice, so I will link a picture to probably my all time favorite livery, instead. :) .... Alright, I changed my mind only because you asked so nice. :rolleyes: Stoner beating Lorenzo at Laguna in 2011. It really is for the pass that Stoner made on the outside of one. Unthinkable at MotoGP speeds, right?
stoner-10_zps510a3bcd.jpg
Click to expand...

That pic is Valencia testing 2010, First time Stoner rode the honda.
And Rossi was on an all black Duc, probs thinking omg wtf have I done.
 

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