MotoGP, the season opener!

[Big Dog]

If I were a betting man, five would get you ten he's on the podium.

[White trash]

If I were a betting man, five would get you ten he's on the podium.

I am a betting man and I just threw 20 bucks on Edwards at 11-1.

Go you good thing!

[Coldkiwi]

i'd love to see the Aprilia's start hauling the big boys in and a green machine on the podium would be sweet too... but I still think they've got lots of work to do to let their riders get close to the honda's or Rossi.

[spudchucka]

Rossi - the Yamaha isn't that far behind the Honda and in Rossi's hands it will be right up there. Thats assumming they haven't made major improvements to the yamaha, if they have Rossi will eat them all for breakfast again.

[SPman]

i'd love to see the Aprilia's start hauling the big boys in and a green machine on the podium would be sweet too... but I still think they've got lots of work to do to let their riders get close to the honda's or Rossi.

They may not have time:-
"Aprilia are in extreme financial difficulties- they have appparently not paid Rotax for engines for two years and are kept afloat by the Italian government. The main cause of these problems is the extremely high cost of their RS3 project. Sooner or later they will be forced to abandon this project by the shareholders."
Would be good to see the Brit boys go well, but I dont see it!
Also:-
"The GP Committee (FIM, Dorna, GPMA and IRTA) has decided that as of the 2007 season, four-strokes will be reduced in size to 900 cc. Furthermore, the minimum weights for the various engine sizes has been increased by 3 kg as of this season, i.e. twins and triples now have a minimum weight of 138 kg (was 135), fours and fives 148 (was 145) and sixes or more cylinders 158 kg (was 155). Oval-pistoned engines mean a 10 kg weight penalty as before.
Fuel tank capacity will be 22 litres as of 1/1/2005.
The Committee also confirmed that the 250 class will remain as is until the end of 2009 at least"
By then they should be doing 300 mph!
How about the other Rossi - Cappirossi? Good for a podium.?
Biaggi will can it and blame someone else!
Soooo....Edwards, this early in!

[Big Dog]

No one in nz is broadcasting it are they?
Perhaps if we got together and sponsored someone with a maori name they would put it on the maori channel?

[Shawn]

Dang!! so I have to have Sky to watch Rosi kicking every1's ass...out of luck.. ..humm...i might go to my mate's house...can any1 tell me the timetable?

[Motoracer]

Dang!! so I have to have Sky to watch Rosi kicking every1's ass...out of luck.. ..humm...i might go to my mate's house...can any1 tell me the timetable?

Where have you been? Sky don't show Moto GP no more

[gpercivl]

Dang!! so I have to have Sky to watch Rosi kicking every1's ass...out of luck.. ..humm...i might go to my mate's house...can any1 tell me the timetable?

Sky's not running it or the MotoX GP's this year...

[pete376403]

The only way for any of the others to beat the Doctor is to ride out of their skins. Trouble is, they'll fall off trying to do what seems to come naturally to him.

Rossi won't have half the domination he had last season but he will sure as hell be better than most of them most of the time, and that should be good enough for the championship.

Is he lighter than all of them too?

Doctor Rossi? - didn't think you were old enough to remember Peyton Place

[Marknz]

Rossi, 'cause he is that good on two wheels. I know the Yamaha isn't really an exceptional bike, but with the team he took from HRC and his riding skill he has to be a real chance not only to win the first race this weekend, but to win the championship this season.

As it happens, I just logged on and got the times from the first free practise session. Guess who's on top already!

Rossi 1m34.4
Biaggi 1m34.7
Edwards 1m35.1
Roberts 1m35.1
Gibernau 1m35.
Barros 1m35.5
Melandri 1m35.5
Checa 1m35.7
Hayden 1m35.9
Capirossi 1m35.9

[Marknz]

1) Rossi 1:32.647.
2) Gibernau 1:32.682.
3) Biaggi 1:32.919.
4) Hayden 1:33.098.
5) Edwards 1:33.111.
6) Nakano 1:33.276.
7) Melandri 1:33.296.
8) Barros 1:33.359.
9) Capirossi 1:33.522.
10) Roberts Jnr 1:33.543.

Others of interest...

15) Hodgson 1:33.977.
16) Xaus 1:34.103.
17) McWilliams 1:34.404.
19) Byrne 1:34.703.
21) Bayliss 1:35.804.

[SPman]

The guy is good - lets hope the bike is up to full race distance.
The interesting thing is less than a second covers the first 10 qualifiers!

[gpercivl]

Well Rossi won it by 0.2 secs over Biaggi, and set history as the 1st person to come out and win his first GP after changing manufacturers.

[Big Dog]

Well Rossi won it by 0.2 secs over Biaggi, and set history as the 1st person to come out and win his first GP after changing manufacturers.

Yay us we were right but that's kind of like asking if Schumacher will win the new japanese GP just cos it will be his first outing...