Round 15: Grande Premio de Portugal

Yesterday was probably the worse day of Hayden’s career. He had been dreaming to become a MotoGP World Champion since he started riding motorbikes with his brothers and this year he had been able to lead the championship with consistent results, hard work and a good dose of luck. The mental pressure from Valentino Rossi had never been so intense as last week: the walking legend from Tavullia until a few months ago seemed to be on the verge of loosing his first championship in the top class after suffering any type of problems but going to Portugal he was only in second position at only 8 points from teh American. Hayden, on his hand, was committed to fight up to the last race, up to the last turn knowing that he could find the extra speed to accomplish his goal even in a racetrack so hostile to him. His determination had proved to be correct with a solid 3rd position on the final grid. At the start of the race Hayden seemed a bit hesitant maybe for the compound choice, but after a couple of laps he was determined to get Valentino and see who had the winning pace. Colin Edwards? No problem to pass, and Pedrosa? He could have never imagined that his teammate was going to drammatically end his dream.
Pedrosa has apologized for his terrible gaffe. His impeccable resume, a glorious 6 year long career of a young prodigious rider, has been recalled to forgive a mistake that could cost to Hayden, and to the Repsol Honda, a World MotoGp Championship.
Nicky’s leadership patiently crafted from the beginning of the season was tragically wasted after 4 laps in Estoril, when the little Spaniard took him out after low-siding on the inside curb of the turn. Things happen and we know that the bad luck goes or should go around randomly, but could this accident be avoided? I am sure that the Repsol Team had a race strategy that the two riders had to implement. Which one? Nobody knows and Pedrosa’s justifications that the front tire went on the curb because of the rear end was off the ground doesn’t explain why he was taking such an aggressive stance versus Hayden. The race had just started and Valentino’s lead had yet to be tested.
Sunday morning I had imagined a race with the Spaniard riding behind Hayden or passing the American only to bring him back to the tail of the leader of the race.
Unfortunately this vision of the competition, more typical in the Tour de France than in a MotoGp race, didn’t and couldn’t take place especially in a team where is still not clear who is the first rider.
With only one race left, only a miracle could give back to Hayden his dream.



The real surprise of the day was Toni Elias victory. He looked fast since the beginning of the race but when he had passed Valentino the first time he let the Italian to lead again by opening his line up at the entrance of a turn and raising, at the same time, his left foot off the peg to signal his move. After that he slowed down enough to embolden Robert’s hopes to win the race. On the last lap, while Rossi and Roberts were battling on the brakes at the end of long straight going into a right turn, the Spaniard out braked both of them with the rear end sliding to align the bike with the exit. It was a turn and a passing that he had been trying during the race: a move that recalls the typical motocross passes where the rider passes the other one on the inside and goes to turn right in front him on the berm forcing the same one to hold his brakes a bit more. Toni Elias father has won several Spanish Motocross Championships and must have inspired his kid in last Sunday’s race with a technique that it is not so common in MotoGp. Valentino too seemed to be surprised by the young rider and even after fighting back he ended up losing the race for only 3/10 of a second on the finish line. It’s still OK because now Rossi's mission to win the 8th World Championship is almost accomplished.


Video 1 source
Video 2 source