My friend Almos is suggesting a very funny video of an European (Austria, Vienna) amateur endurocross race. Somehow it reminds me those Japanese games where the participants are never able to go from one station to the other one without falling ruinously. In TV the Japanese contenders keep smiling and laughing, in this video we cannot tell because of the helmets but my guess is that they are, at least, “displeased” … (LOL).
Once again ... I have listed the first 7 riders in the championship as potential candidates. Scroll up and down to read the whole list and click on one of the choices. The poll will be immediately updated.
Last Saturday in Assen, until the end, Nakano (13th in the World Championship) was in 3rd and Pedrosa 4th. They became 2nd and 3rd only because Colin Edwards crashed in the very last turn of the race.
Who needs you? Yes, last Saturday in Assen the Americans run the show … well the Italians were there but in what physical condition? The carnage in Catalunya not only eliminated Gibernau for a few Gps, but also pounded heavily Melandri and Capirossi. Also last Thursday Valentino Rossi too crashed fracturing his ankle, his wrist and bruising his thorax.
Anyhow the 3 Italian riders had better luck than the Spaniard Elias forced to return home after breaking his shoulder during free practice. The day of the race the final grid saw in order Hopkins, Nakano and Edwards on the first row; Hayden, Pedrosa and Vermeulen in the second row. Surprisingly Melandri was in the 7th position, when Capirossi in 15th and Rossi only in the last position, 18th. The race was almost tedious: Edwards took immediately the lead that he maintained up to the last 2 laps. During the race only Hayden was able to remain in sight with Edwards, because the 3rd rider, Nakano had accumulated a gap of 5’. It was only on the last couple of laps that Hayden was able to fill the gap and to attack Edwards going into a very fast chicane. The Honda rider took the inside line and Colin was left with no option to stand his bike and going straight down the escape road to get back on the track 1’ behind Hayden.. At that point it seemed that Nicky had the victory in his hand but the Texas Tornado in half lap was able to make up the distance and pass again the Kentucky Kid with 2 turns to go. Going into the last chicane Edwards took the inside while Hayden tried the impossible attacking him on the outside at a speed that could have never managed thru the turn. Both of them, on the brakes with a torpedo attitude, had already missed the turn point area: Hayden suddenly took the gravel area while Edwards off line, missed the apex and running over the cement edge and the synthetic grass, high-sided from his Yamaha. The lucky man, Hayden rejoined the track and won his first race of the season. Edwards was able to remount the bike and finishing 13th. Personally I didn’t enjoy the end of the race, and maybe even the winner felt strange about it because during the comments with the media Nicky didn’t mention at all what happened in the last lap. Nakano got the 2nd place and Pedrosa 3rd after dicing with Stoner and Roberts Jr. in the last part of the race.
And the Italians? Melandri 7th @ 18’’, Rossi 8th @ 23’’ and Capirossi 15th @ 1’ 17’’. By looking at the gaps among the riders more than a motorbike race it looked like a mountain stage of the Tour de France with all the participants separated by big gaps at the end, but then ,if you analyze the fastest lap of each person you will discover that the injured Rossi’ best time was 1’17’’77 vs. Hayden’s best time of 1’17’10. Let's think about ... Picture Source Video 1 and 2 source
It was supposed to be a turning point in the championship for a lot of riders and it has been ..but not for everybody. Four out of the first seven riders in the world championship did not finish the race in Catalunya. A hecatomb that initiated right at the start of the GP before T1 when Gibernau crossed his line with Capirossi and after hitting his leg, causing him to crash, flied over the handlebars of his bike. The 2 red Ducati, at this point out of control, plowed the group leaving on the ground other 4 riders. Video 1
Video 2
The race was obviolusly red flagged and after 20’ the riders formed the grid again but only for another delay. Vermuellen had stalled his bike while Hopkins had to stretch his cramping back after his escape in the sand from the previous crash. When the race final started it was spiced up by the 20 year old Stoner that led the group for 8 laps before crashing right after being passed by Rossi. I have read an interview where he claims that he lost his front end, but the impression that we got in TV was that he lost the rear tire as if he was leaning too much. Only 2 laps later it’s definitely Pedrosa to lowside: too bad because it was in 5th position, having charged from 11th in the grid. To my count the young Spaniard Sunday crashed 3 times in less than half race: at the start, trying to jump start the bike and during the race. From this point on the Gp of Catalunya settled with Valentino in total control of the race, Hayden in a confortable 2nd position and Kenny Roberts Jr in 3rd, back on the podium on a remarkably fast KR211V. As of today, Tuesday, Gibernau will not partecipate at the next Sunday race in Assen. After the accident he had a surgery to replace a plate in a previously injured shoulder. For Capirossi and Melandri we will have to wait until Friday to find out about their attendance. The World Championship is still opened for surprises as Sunday race has proved, but Hayden seems to lead with the confidence typical of the person aware that he his riding the upper side of the wheel of fortune: a podium here, a win there, a competitor not finishing a race and … his dream ….PUFF ….will became true. Like an Aladdin’s lamp the MotoGp is going to create different scenarios in the coming months: last Sunday I noticed two small clouds of smoke during the race: the first one created by Gibernau locking his front wheel before crashing and the second one caused by Rossi spinning his rear tire on the last lap right before raising his left hand indicating that, indeed, he is still the #1 with his … flying yellow carpet.
Another great escape from … an inevitable crash, this time in Summit Point, WV. Beside luck in this case the R6 rider proved to be cold and focused in acting upon the double trap created by the RC51 rider. Not only he was able to avoid to run over the “rolling” body but he also steered clear of the “crossing” bike. His patience showed in T3 with the slower guy was more than rewarded in the fast chute to T4.
Last year Robert Lombardi came back from a race in Summit Point in West Virginia with two pics: a smiling racer standing in his dusty leather suit and holding, by the handle bars, the front end of his “ex brand new” 2005 Suzuki (I guess it was a GSX R 1000) and another photo with the rest of the bike in horrific conditions laying on the asphalt by his pit area. After inquiring I learned that this guy split the bike in two pieces in a high speed crash during the race. Luckily he didn’t get hurt but the separation of the fork/head from the rest of the frame left everybody suspiciously surprised. This morning I have received an interesting email from my friend Moe with a video that suddenly brought back to my memory the accident in Summit. As a result, I decided to search this topic on Internet and I found an article where the dynamic of the accident and the detailed pictures bring up the case of another frame that could have been defective.
Once again … but with a change: in the last two races Capirossi came second twice, so from this MotoGp on we will guess the 3rd place rider’s name. I have listed the first 7 riders in the championship as potential candidates. Scroll up and down to read the whole list and click on one of the choices. The poll will be immediately updated.
Last time 56% of people voted for Meladri when only 25% was for Capirossi.
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