MotoGP 2015

**Reckless** · 14th April 2015, 12:09

Originally Posted by Oscar

Avalon Biddle was on CGW last night.

Yeh she just won the Opening race at Aragon, good show aye

Congratulations to all the European Junior Cup competitors on a cracking opening race here at Aragon. Well done to Avalon Biddle on winning the women's @eurojuniorcup race

Highlight of the last GP was MM running down the pit lane then what a lap, back wheel in the air into corners, bike snaking and trying to do a 180 under braking then pole position. The boy is very very good there's no doubt about that.

Good to See Rossi have another good one too

**pritch** · 14th April 2015, 17:10

It's not just here and Oz. The Poms are complaining that after the weekend Danny Kent and Sam Lowes had they received no coverage in the newspapers, yet Sir Bradley Wiggins apparently got considerable coverage for finishing 18th in the Paris-Roubaix cycle classic. That's not to mention, Johnnie Rea, Chaz Davies and Tom Sykes, all of whom hadn't exactly wasted their weekend.

I'm not sure what the problem is in Britain but the problem here is that we don't have sports journalists, we have rugby and cricket commentators and a couple of retired netball players. If it doesn't come under one of those headings you probably won't read much about it.

**denill** · 14th April 2015, 17:28

It has been a topic that had got me off-side with MNZ some years past as, rightly or wrongly, I considered MNZ should take some responsibility for the promotion of the sport they govern. They consider their role is to administer, not promote. But if MNZ can not assume some responsibility to correct the pathetic state that has dogged our sport forever, who will?

**Gadget1** · 14th April 2015, 17:54

Originally Posted by denill

It has been a topic that had got me off-side with MNZ some years past as, rightly or wrongly, I considered MNZ should take some responsibility for the promotion of the sport they govern. They consider their role is to administer, not promote. But if MNZ can not assume some responsibility to correct the pathetic state that has dogged our sport forever, who will?

Their position is interesting given MotorSportNZ, as a comparison, has promotion listed as one of the key goals of their current mission statement.

**Reckless** · 14th April 2015, 21:29

These excuses are gettin a bit same ole same ole

Jorge Lorenzo:
“It was a very tough race, because physically I wasn‘t feeling good due to the bronchitis and the antibiotics. We finished the race in the best way possible given the circumstances. I wasn‘t fit and the bike also needed some extra performance on some areas of the track, especially on the straight I lost a lot. Here and in Qatar two problems occurred that were difficult to overcome but we saved the situations the best we could. I will probably be fit in Argentina. Last year I rode a good race there while I wasn‘t in the best condition. Now that the bike is working better, I hope I will be ready physically. I have high hopes for the race in Argentina and the track is fun to race at.”

Blaming fitness again? He needs to harden up and pull something extra out of the bag if he's not 100%.
Bloody sure MM wasn't 100% physically and stressed mentally after that sprint down pit lane

**george formby** · 14th April 2015, 22:22

Originally Posted by Reckless

Blaming fitness again? He needs to harden up and pull something extra out of the bag if he's not 100%.
Bloody sure MM wasn't 100% physically and stressed mentally after that sprint down pit lane

Worlds longest Le Mans start. I was blown away by his fitness and focus.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 15th April 2015, 09:04

Originally Posted by Reckless

These excuses are gettin a bit same ole same ole

Blaming fitness again? He needs to harden up and pull something extra out of the bag if he's not 100%.
Bloody sure MM wasn't 100% physically and stressed mentally after that sprint down pit lane

Dude...I don't think you could ever question Whoregay's commitment and toughness. Racing two days after smashing your collarbone anyone?

**Shaun Harris** · 15th April 2015, 09:08

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

Dude...I don't think you could ever question Whoregay's commitment and toughness. Racing two days after smashing your collarbone anyone?

Agreed. I did the same with a colorbone years ago, and it is not easy to do

**pritch** · 15th April 2015, 09:15

Originally Posted by Reckless

These excuses are gettin a bit same ole same ole

Ummm I'd agree if he only came out with that after the race, but we had been told that he was struggling with his health when coverage started on the Friday.
The gym in his house could be bigger than the house most of us live in? It is seriously impressive. He lost a lot of weight prior to the start of the season so you'd normally say he was super fit. A lung infection though can lay anyone low, most of us would have just stayed in bed.

**Erelyes** · 15th April 2015, 09:19

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

Dude...I don't think you could ever question Whoregay's commitment and toughness. Racing two days after smashing your collarbone anyone?

Considering he had Bronchitis I think he actually did pretty well.

Aoyama's performance on the other hand was woeful. Really wish they had given the ride to Stoner instead...

**pritch** · 15th April 2015, 09:52

Originally Posted by Erelyes

Aoyama's performance on the other hand was woeful. Really wish they had given the ride to Stoner instead...

The factory won't be worried, it was thought that the only instruction Aoyama had was to bring the bike home without damaging an engine. He did that.

**McWild** · 15th April 2015, 10:29

Aoyama's performance on the other hand was woeful. Really wish they had given the ride to Stoner instead...

So many people have been ripping on Aoyama after COTA, and it's completely unwarranted.

Woeful? There's less than a handful of people who have been able to achieve anything of note on the RC213V within the last 7 years. People keep saying they want Stoner to have ridden at COTA and to ride at Argentina, but I really doubt they're ready to be so thoroughly disappointed when Stoner:

- Comes out of 2.5 years of retirement from road racing, with the associated drop in fitness (look at how hard JL or CC work to stay in the game). And I'm not saying I could beat Stoner in a jog around the local 250m track, but I do think that fishing and rc car racing perhaps aren't the ideal cardio for Gp racing
- Races on tracks that he's never raced on
- Faces new competitors and completely redesigned bikes

I like Stoner a lot and I would love to seem him do a wild-card, but people are living in fantasy land if they think he would out-and-out show a wheel to Aoyama.

I'm a firm believer that HRC (and all the rest) do what they do in a considered and calculated way. It's their multi-million dollar GP program they're running after all, so you'll forgive me if I take their decisions on such matters considerably more seriously than commentators on the internet.

Just give Aoyama some damn credit.

**GD66** · 15th April 2015, 10:48

It must be tougher than is generally thought, I rate Johnny Rea and he produced seemingly only journeyman-like results in his few wildcard rides for Honda, while staying aboard and not grenading the motor.

Can't imagine why Stoner would want to step in for the weekend, considering the media scrum and the pommy slag artists and their forum buddies haven't disappeared from GP land. None of that has changed at all, so all the reasons he gave for pulling the pin still stand. Odd.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 15th April 2015, 10:51

Originally Posted by McWild

I like Stoner a lot and I would love to seem him do a wild-card, but people are living in fantasy land if they think he would out-and-out show a wheel to Aoyama.

Just give Aoyama some damn credit.

I'm willing to bet Stoner is still plenty fit. Not race fit, cause only one thing gives you that, but fitter than most peeps. And whilst Stoner wouldn't be able to come back and kick arse, I'd bet all of my bikes on the fact he'd finish in front of Aoyama. And that's not to slag Aoyama off...but an alien he ain't.

**Erelyes** · 15th April 2015, 10:59

Originally Posted by pritch

The factory won't be worried, it was thought that the only instruction Aoyama had was to bring the bike home without damaging an engine. He did that.

Odd then that he set the top speed of 213.8 mph... seems a little at odds with engine preservation. Perhaps he just got a good slipstream on that lap and the Hondas have a power/drive advantage over anything else (MM didn't get much of a chance to slipstream anyone).

5 pts is 5 pts, I suppose.

Originally Posted by McWild

Woeful? There's less than a handful of people who have been able to achieve anything of note on the RC213V within the last 7 years. People keep saying they want Stoner to have ridden at COTA and to ride at Argentina, but I really doubt they're ready to be so thoroughly disappointed when Stoner:

Fair comment, 'woeful' was harsh on my part. Still, I'd rather be disappointed by Stoner, than bored by Aoyama. If Stoner doesn't do a wild-card in this sort of situation, when would he ever?

Originally Posted by McWild

I like Stoner a lot and I would love to seem him do a wild-card, but people are living in fantasy land if they think he would out-and-out show a wheel to Aoyama.

Aoyama finished 12th at the same circuit last year. He knows the bike, he knows the circuit, and was quick down the straights (presumably) yet still finished a fair bit behind not only all the front runners (I'll include Cal in those), but also both Suzukis and a Pramac Ducati. Even riding safely, that seems overly safe.

Originally Posted by McWild

Just give Aoyama some damn credit.

Fair enough, he gets a participation credit