Couch Corpse Posted April 1, 2005 10 days to go until the first race in Jerez kicking off this new season. I can't wait. Last year was brillant, it was wide open and Rossi sticking it to Honda still make me chuckle. I think Nicky Hayden will be one to watch this year, he did pretty good last year with only bad luck and some poor decisions holding him back. Predictions. News. Results. Etc. Post em here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McFly Posted April 1, 2005 I hope Edwards does well, hes always been cool and it tuirns out my boss is proper mates him! Used to race together apparently.Rossi and Biaggi to get into a press war of words. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigourney Beaver Posted April 2, 2005 I hope Edwards does well, hes always been cool and it tuirns out my boss is proper mates him! Used to race together apparently.Rossi and Biaggi to get into a press war of words.←Actual fisticuffs would be better! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badger Posted April 2, 2005 Actual fisticuffs would be better! ←Already happened at the Japanese GP a couple of years ago.....I reckon Edwards could finally come good.....but Rossi will still do it.....Just hope Bayliss improves.....More importantly...it's the Phillip Island round of WSB this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curium Posted April 2, 2005 Edwards will be off the pace except for 2-3 races.Rossi will be up the sharp end under serious pressure from Gibernau and Biaggi but no championship for him this season Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 2, 2005 For Rossi?Who then? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curium Posted April 2, 2005 Who then?←Not sure yet. But my friend was in Barcelona and picked up tickets for the race in June which allowed him free entry to the IRTA tests and he said the Hondas have upped their horsepower whereas the Yamahas don't look to have closed the gap on that aspect. On the curve between elf and repsol corners the Hondas looked like missles.I think Gibernau is under-rated and Biaggi, for all his bitching, is fast. If the Honda is as superior as I'm told then I can't see how one of them can fail to win it. Add in Melandri (if he can stay on-board long enough ) and Hayden and Rossi is gonna find it tough.Edwards is consistent but he's never been blindingly fast since coming to GPs. He'll bring it home in the points but I can't see him finishing ahead of Gibernau and Biaggi too often let alone Rossi.Just my 2p. I don't think I'll be too far wrong barring injuries and mechanical failures.Ironically, rain could be Rossi's ally this year as it will neutralise the Honda's power advantage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 2, 2005 Biaggi is on the decline (I think) and a lot of Gibernau's success has depended on his team, if the team are the same or better coupled with the extra power you mentioned he should be a force. Rossi will just get better on the bike the more time he had on it. It looks wide open. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 8, 2005 Times from the first practise run. Interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigourney Beaver Posted April 10, 2005 What an incredible race! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badger Posted April 10, 2005 Great racing, and also the BSB is worth watching on SKy Sports 2...find out more here. www.motorcyclenews.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McFly Posted April 10, 2005 So what about the last lap? dirty/clean/racing incident? Racing incident imo. Spoiler: Rossi is fucking incredible, Gibernau must be at his wits end, no matter what he does the Doctor almost always beats him Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Posted April 10, 2005 I'm not a Moto fan, but the end of that race was incredible.So much better than anything F1 ever serves up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrSpoon Posted April 10, 2005 Spoilers : Gibernau was in the middle of the track and had left a gap. It just happened that when he tried to turn in on Rossi, Rossi was already alongside him so they clashed. It seemed pretty fair to me, they both had the right to contest the racing line. You can't really say enough positive things about Rossi. The bloke is amazing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnC Posted April 10, 2005 I thought the incident was certainly not an example of dirty racing.SpoilerRossi was clearly in a fair position when Gibernau hit him. If anything, Gibernau made himself look a right tit when the race ended with his sulking. He may have hurt his arm a little against Rossis handlebar, but he was overacting. I mean one minute he would be waving his arms and another he would be hunched on the ground in pain. And back and forth like that. I thought it was hilarious when they were walking up the stairs to the podium and Gibernau stopped on the stairs because he was in so much "pain" and Rossi was a few people behind him and couldn't stop himself laughing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curium Posted April 10, 2005 OK my take on the last lap 'incident': A racing incident caused by Sete being amateur.Sete had been passed by Vale on that same corner 2 laps previous. On the last corner of the last lap Sete should have expected a banzai move and should have been hugging the apex. Instead he went for the wide fast line which allowed Rossi to go underneath him. In my book this makes it Rossi's corner.The matter is undoubtedly complicated by whether you believe Rossi was gonna make the corner, or that he had gone in so hot he would have run wide. For me that is the only question, but if Sete had been protecting the apex like he should have been it wouldn't be an issue.My friend believes Rossi was running wide and had Gibernau been more wise he could of slowed up and turn inside him alá Sachsenring 2003.For a cut and dried case of a similar incident, look back at Harada v Capirossi in 250s. Same situation except Harada hugged the apex, Capirossi ran in hot on a banzai move but had nowhere to go except into Harada taking him out and leading to his disqualification.As for the rest of the race, well Sete is officially Rossi's bitch! How many times has he been stalked and mugged like that towards the end!? Just as he was trying to put that PI pass behind him Good to see Kawasaki back on the pace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
layten Posted April 11, 2005 I'm not the biggest fan of Bike racing, but that race and that final lap was amazing stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeteBrant Posted April 11, 2005 OK my take on the last lap 'incident': A racing incident caused by Sete being amateur.The matter is undoubtedly complicated by whether you believe Rossi was gonna make the corner, or that he had gone in so hot he would have run wide. For me that is the only question, but if Sete had been protecting the apex like he should have been it wouldn't be an issue.←Quite - Rossi was obviously far to hot going into the corner - but the gap was there.But an aces race. Hayden was looking good, but not good enough to live with Rossi and Gibernau. You knew Rossi was saving himself for the last few laps. He was looking far too comfortable sitting behind Sete.What about Biaggi though - As Rossi said, he has no excuses this year, he has everything he wanted, an HRC ride, total support and he still struggles.But fuck me that V5 accelerates fast - The Yamaha and Honda both have the same top speed give or take, but the V5 gets there much quicker. I cant wait for Mugello, last years race was insane. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Disgraced Toblerone Posted April 11, 2005 Biaggi's becoming completely silly, talking about himself in the third person as the "Roman Emperor" (I think) and twlling everyone there is a conspiracy lead by Honda againt him this year.That final lap was incredible, and Giberneau must be quite pissed off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 11, 2005 What a race. The pace of the two leads was outstanding. Anyone know what happened to Hayden? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McFly Posted April 11, 2005 Biaggi out Kiyonari in by half way through the season, you heard it here first! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 11, 2005 Don't count him out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 17, 2005 Good race. Dunno if you all got to see it yet so I'll keep shut til later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badger Posted April 17, 2005 Good race. Dunno if you all got to see it yet so I'll keep shut til later.←What he said ^ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeteBrant Posted April 17, 2005 SpoilerI am not sure about the new rules for wet races. The old rule where you stopped the race, and then effectively started a new race with everyone on wet setup for the reamining laps, lead to some fantastic racing. The new rules seems to go towards weighting the result on team decisions, as in Formula 1, I.e. you can choose whether to come in an change for a wet set up.Having said that, enjoyed the race - But hey, it's MotoGP - There are no boring ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badger Posted April 17, 2005 SpoilerI am not sure about the new rules for wet races. The old rule where you stopped the race, and then effectively started a new race with everyone on wet setup for the reamining laps, lead to some fantastic racing. The new rules seems to go towards weighting the result on team decisions, as in Formula 1, I.e. you can choose whether to come in an change for a wet set up.Having said that, enjoyed the race - But hey, it's MotoGP - There are no boring ones.←Spoiler debate I thought the new rules worked really well. When the second rain came down you could see noone was going to come in for a tyre change, so everyone was tiptoeing round, making for a nervous few laps. In the old days, Barros would have held his arm int he air and it would have been over.....makes it a lot more real when you see people like Rossi having to tiptoe round after losing the front and saving it.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigourney Beaver Posted April 17, 2005 I'm with Badger on this one.Potential spoilerIn the circumstances, there wasn't enough race left to make pitting for a new bike worthwhile. If it rains sooner in a future race then we'll get a proper example of the rule Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couch Corpse Posted April 17, 2005 Everybody seen this now I assume, can we talk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McFly Posted April 17, 2005 Fucking Sete man and Edwards to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
