Interested in MotoGP?

[roogazza]

Thanks Cajun, he's a great champion isn't he. I can't wait to see what Sunday night brings with the next round and whether Stoner can come back. Gaz.

[racefactory]

Nope, you heard of the Day of Champions that Donington runs before the GP? Most the GP riders are there and they auction stuff off for charity, Riders for Health etc. Seems Stoner hasn't been too popular with the crowd, refusing to sign autographs etc. This carried over to them booing him on the podium last year. Apparently this year he wasn't much better and didn't spend alot of time with the crowd either.

Oh ok, what's his problem then? I'd probably boo him for that if i was there too! Fair enough.

[NZsarge]

Thanks Cajun, he's a great champion isn't he. I can't wait to see what Sunday night brings with the next round and whether Stoner can come back. Gaz.

Ditto, undoubtedly he'll come back but if nothing untoward happens to Rossi or his machine it seems a come back this season is gonna be too little too late.
I reckon it would be great to see Rossi celebrate another champion title win so fingers crossed.

[wharfy]

Most of these guys in MotoGP are still just boys so they do and say dumb things sometimes.
Anyone who throws their leg over a 250 hp bike and rides it even close to its limits is a f&*kn GREAT rider.
The ones who consistently win championships are f*&kn,f*&kn,f*&kn,f*&kn, GREAT riders.
Some of them may be good guys - and some may be tossers, and some complete pricks, but even the slowest is at a level that is far beyond most of us KB'ers.

However we shouldn't let that spoil our fun and everyone should have a favorite to cheer for.

Mine is Rossi - I would like him to win again just to confirm he is possibly the best bike racer ever.
I would love to see him race live, just so I could remember it, like the time I saw Colin Meads lead the All blacks to victory at Eden Park

Having been a mediocre rugby player and being a mediocre bike racer it is very cool to see the giants of either sport in action. (Oh if you don't know who Colin Meads is - google him - All black No. 583 ) maybe

Stoner is, to quote Barry Crump, a "Bastardus whippersnappersus" - a young bastard but he will grow out of it and if he is lucky will take over from Rossi sooner or later. I hope they are both lucky enough to become "old bastards" like me

[svr]

For a 22 yr old Stoner is pretty polite and well spoken!
It is refreshing when sports stars actually say what they think every now and again...

[TonyB]

I seriously wonder how anyone can watch Stoner ride and then say he's only at the front because he's on the best bike. He is constantly correcting front end slides, mid corner wobbles and riding right on the limit. There was one wet race where the front tucked noticeably at high speed- he just gathered it up and carried on.... and did it again the next lap. That takes serious skill, not to mention balls the size of texas.

I'll admit that watching the on screen telemetry from his bike, it looks like he just whacks the throttle fully open and lets the traction control sort it out, but then the same telemetry also shows him pulling the brake lever ALL the way in whenever he's on the brakes. Maybe the telemetry setup for the TV footage is wrong? I wouldn't mind betting that the telemetry that his crew are looking at tells a very different story.

[gav]

Oh ok, what's his problem then? I'd probably boo him for that if i was there too! Fair enough.

He's a young guy that just wants to race his bike, he's not a natural media darling like Rossi. No one is like Rossi though, he grew up in the race paddock, at 3 years old he was hanging out with his Dad at GP's etc. Stoner is probably a bit shy and would rather not have the hassle of the media/public I guess but certainly does his best, alot better than Pedrobot for sure. And yeah, he is probably too honest for his own good sometimes but good on him.

[lostinflyz]

the problem with stoner is he is like all the F1 guys. They are just some guy on a bike(aka a guy in a car). hes dull and really unlikable. And he has a hot missus. Which means i cant stant him.

But lets face it motorcycle racing is half about being a good bastard. Most people really like rossi (assuming there not huge baiggi/stoner fans) and guys like edwards and even hopkins. These guys have a personality (ohh and can ride like all hell). People arent gonna like someone just cause they are quick. they want cool and classy. and farkin fast.

but in the end it all comes back to the really hot missus. thats the reason everyone bags stoner. and id trade places anyday

[Crasherfromwayback]

I seriously wonder how anyone can watch Stoner ride and then say he's only at the front because he's on the best bike. He is constantly correcting front end slides, mid corner wobbles and riding right on the limit. There was one wet race where the front tucked noticeably at high speed- he just gathered it up and carried on.... and did it again the next lap. That takes serious skill, not to mention balls the size of texas.

.

The only people that say that don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

The guy is a super hard charger and more skillfull than they'll ever know!

[roogazza]

The only people that say that don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

The guy is a super hard charger and more skillfull than they'll ever know!

Is someone picking on 'wingnut' again Pete ? You got any practice info , times, weather over there ?
ps. while you were working this morning, I was at Martin/B for breakfast (someone has to do it !) Gaz.

[johan]

You probably already know it, but you get live internet broadcast of practise, qualifying etc if you subscribe on the motoGP site.

A lot of times these ones are more entertaining that the actual race.

[k14]

Is someone picking on 'wingnut' again Pete ? You got any practice info , times, weather over there ?
ps. while you were working this morning, I was at Martin/B for breakfast (someone has to do it !) Gaz.

I watched FP2 and stoner led comfortably for the whole session, finishing with a 0.4s lead over Rossi. However it did look like Rossi did his last lap on a qualifier and Stoner's last run was a 3 lapper so hard to tell what he was doing. It seems as though it is the same as in most of the other races so far in regards to Stoners advantage over the field. But we all know what has happened in the last 2 races aye!!

The only problem is stoner has reagravated an old injury in his wrist, seems as though he was bending it at just the wrong angle and his scaphoid broke the same place it did as in 2005. So it could cause him some trouble in the race, hopefully not!!

The other story is Michelin seems to have got their act together more than in Brno, even though the top 6 is still bridgy dominated a few michelin runners are up there.

[roogazza]

Thanks for that K14, just hoping its dry and another close hard fight.

I've had one of those scaphoid breaks, I was lucky and it was a quick mend, but a mate had one that took nine months and a bone graft to fix. Gaz.

[k14]

Qualifing was much the same, all the other guys fought hard to get into the high 1.33's (on their third qualifier) with lorenzo and rossi leading the charge. Stoner came out on his first qualifier and didn't do much special (said he didn't get front tyre up to heat fast enough). Came in for his second and then decimated everyone, over half a second. He was 3rd on race tyres anyway so he didn't even need to bother. This is certainly shaping up to be Stoners race to loose again but we all know what has happened in the last 3 races.

My pick Stoner, Lorenzo, Elias.

On the weather front, how does 37 degrees air temp sound?? No mention of rain.

[gav]

Qualifing was much the same, all the other guys fought hard to get into the high 1.33's (on their third qualifier) with lorenzo and rossi leading the charge. Stoner came out on his first qualifier and didn't do much special (said he didn't get front tyre up to heat fast enough). Came in for his second and then decimated everyone, over half a second. He was 3rd on race tyres anyway so he didn't even need to bother. This is certainly shaping up to be Stoners race to loose again but we all know what has happened in the last 3 races.

My pick Stoner, Lorenzo, Elias.

On the weather front, how does 37 degrees air temp sound?? No mention of rain.

Huh? No Rossi? What about your man Hayden? Got any more $$$$ on him down the TAB?