2009 MotoGP - Rnd 17 - Valencia

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

Good for a first time on a MotoGP bike to be .4 secs behind a 6 year veteran...

This would be his fourth or fifth race meeting on an 800 MotoGP bike IIRC. Remember he did a few wildcard rides for Suzuki last year?

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by Cal

Spies has done really well. I expected him to qualify 10th, so I was pretty close. He's still some way behind CEII so i'm not sure what all the birdman baiting is about here. I think it's way more significant that he's ahead of Dovizioso, rather than who he's behind. I'm wrapped that Hayden has done OK. Here's hoping that he doesn't get smashed into on the first couple of corners and he can make a good race from it.

Not baiting at al Cal, I just can't figure out why Yamaha have stuck with CE.

They had plenty of opportunities to get a better rider.

Never won a race and probably never will.

Will never win a championship.

If i was spending millions I would at least like a better rider, after 6 years in MotoGP I expected better.

[FJ Steve]

Given the talent chasm between the top four, and the next bunch of riders (of which CEII is leading)...who would you put on the bike Gypsy? .....and would "your" budget afford the choice?

[Glen Forrest]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

............ I just can't figure out why Yamaha have stuck with CE.

They had plenty of opportunities to get a better rider.

Never won a race and probably never will.

Will never win a championship.

If i was spending millions I would at least like a better rider, after 6 years in MotoGP I expected better.

In the initial years, didn't he have value as a tester for Michelin tyres? Wasn't Michelin paying some of his wage??? Plus being media friendly, and he kept Rossi happy all helped.

And, if he wasn't getting the same kit as Rossi, then the powers that be would have known and perhaps he was doing exactly what was expected of him.

And as FJsteve says, who would you replace him with???? Factor in who's out of contract at the right time, and often the choices are limited. Don't forget, he's the "best of the rest".

I know this is one of the great unknowns, but would Chris V, Marco Melandri or Toni Elias done any better on the same bike as CE???

Certainly his record isn't stellar from the point of view of wins or even podium appearances. But if he's a good "team player" doesn't make outrageous demands, is good PR, then who else would you have replaced him with???

Elias who only seems to go fast at contract time?

[darren]

Originally Posted by PiJiL

......is goes to waste getting into stupid he said/she said 4th grade arguments

If you ever succeed in cleansing this forum of such carry-on, I shall never forgive you.

Edwards goes as well as alot of others that seem to sit there without any shit being thrown, it's bizarre. The guy has some grit I reckon, you could never accuse him of throwing in the towel or anything. I tip him to win another SBK championship if he goes back.

Interesting to hear you guys saying there not much difference in style, I can see each rider speaking volumes through their behaviour on the bike. Again, look at Edwards style and how much it has changed over the last 6-7 years. Keep an eye on the wheels, how they are (or usually 'arent', haha) lining up, head and shoulder positioning, legs taking weight or holding nothing, it's awesome! The slow mo shots make it all too easy to pick.

[urban]

Just finished watching qualifying, How mental is Stoner?

Those 2 wheel slides through the left hander with his knee on the deck were a thing of beauty.

[pneumatic]

13 deg C air temp probably means morning warm up doesn't mean much, but it was a very interesting session. Ducati and Yamaha up the front.

Stoner
Rossi
Edwards
Hayden
Spies
Lorenzo

Spies ahead of Jorge is awesome.

[anttisexual]

Yeah, watched the eurosport quali coverage too. They seemed pretty impressed with it too, so spent plenty ot time showing stoner slding like all heck. looked cool as fuck and had me giggling

The bad and good news is to realise it all just electronics and all he is doing is just opening the throttle. Bad news to realise he is actually crap. Good news to think I could exactly the same

[rjo]

Originally Posted by anttisexual

The bad and good news is to realise it all just electronics and all he is doing is just opening the throttle. Bad news to realise he is actually crap. Good news to think I could exactly the same

They'd only need to add a bit more preload.

[PiJiL]

you know boats

[Cal]

Feature packed 250 race.

[trev]

In the Qantas Club in Perth waiting for the trolley dolleys to switch the Foxtel from Sky News to Fox Sports One so I can enjoy the race.

[PiJiL]

Some great overtaking moves at the start..........

Stopped brething when Aoyama went off, i was riding the gravel with him

Siminchelli was lifgtning fast and way to ragged............it was his to lose and he never let us down

Congrats to Ayoama for the series win, he desrved it for consistency..........

Good to see a jap, on a jap, in tha last 250cc race

[lindsaymac]

Couple of stills from Qualifying.

Casey drifting both ends,


...and Spies using all the track,


Yeah, it's all in the electronics.

[pneumatic]

Aoyama rode through that dirt at a pretty crazy speed, I thought he was fecked for sure. Good entertaining race.

[PiJiL]

WARM UP TIMES MOTOGP

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'32.856 312.680
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'33.460 308.747 0.604
3 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'33.744 306.296 0.888
4 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'33.820 310.077 0.964
5 11 Ben SPIES USA Sterilgarda Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'33.823 308.395 0.967
6 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'33.825 310.077 0.969
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'33.934 308.924 1.078
8 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'33.945 314.044 1.089
9 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'34.017 311.778 1.161
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'34.105 308.219 1.249
11 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'34.187 313.679 1.331
12 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'34.351 307.429 1.495
13 44 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'34.378 306.905 1.522
14 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'34.516 307.254 1.660
15 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'34.615 309.810 1.759
16 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'34.638 305.084 1.782
17 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'34.897 306.469 2.041
18 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'35.167 303.200 2.311

[trev]

Got the big screen in the Qantas Club tuned in, woohoo. Few red wins to make the red eye bearable to boot....

[PiJiL]

wot tyme is the flite?

[trev]

Casey out, crashed on the warm up lap....

[PiJiL]

FUCK ME............. Stoner Crashes on the Warm up lap