MOTOGP » Hayden: Home fifth as hard as a win

Kenlucky, it's not just Hayden fans. Just go over to the JT thread and see how many excuses are there. There's no such thing as fluky WC wins. Each is earned. I mean, do you chalk up Stoner's dominant 07 season because Ducati came out with a head over heels better bike than anyone? It was painful watching Rossi on that underpowered bike. But man, listen to the Rossi fans whine about that! Or last year, listen to the Stoner fans whine about Rossi winning when Stoner crashed. It happens with fans of ANY rider (good, bad, great, suck, any rider). Tons of excuses. Hayden is an easy target because the sport is about "What have you done for us lately?" and that's too bad.

El Bigonio

Never said that.Rainey Doohan and other WC have said that.KS won in 93 due to Rainey's accident.Same with Criville in 98.Both defended the title fairly poorly (but not as bad as NH).

As I said:Stoner did a GREAT title defense.He is still a bigtime contender.Even if he were to never win again the WC,it was NOT a fluke.He won it big time and did not rely on DNFs, injuries etc.

However,Schwantz was day in and day out a contender.Winning 25 races,50 podiums..Often leading and crashing.Had KS done "damage control" like NH he likely would have won more than one WC. KS and NH both have one WC,but NH is hardly in the same league- Hayden is not even a contender...sorry to say.

And I don't like Hayden's current season with Melandri's last year. The big reason is that this year the Ducati is not NEARLY as good as it was last year. Don't get me wrong, each manufacturer NOT Suzuki has improved by leaps and bounds. I mean that Honda is seriously fast. Last year, you couldn't make that statement with them still running spring valve! The M1 was good, but it's not as good as it is today! So, Melandri has a very dominant bike under him with power that was unrivaled. I mean up until this year, would you have ever thought you'd see the M1 gap the Ducati on the main straight in Catalunya? Tell me your jaw didn't drop seeing Jorge walk Stoner on the straight!

Kenlucky, you may think it's an excuse, but it's more like in defense. Did Schwantz or Criville have to defend their title after a huge rule change (990 to 800)? Did they have to do that in the midst of a new tire rule (whereby Michelin got it wrong so many times it wasn't even funny)? Hayden got the short end of the shaft because 1) The Honda was atrocious. So much so the "Incumbent, pre-crowned" WC Dani Pedrosa only mustered 2 wins/season on the machine. 2) Rossi was smart to depart from Michelin in 08, which I believe saved his WC hopes. The loss of overnight specials was a huge hit to EVERY Michelin rider, so much so that Dani cut ties in 08.

Yeah, Hayden's title defense was poor, but could you really blame him? Do you honestly think that it might have gone better if they had retained the 990s for his defense? Hayden was the best qualifier in 2006. He was really fast. He adjusted poorly to the new machine and tire rule, but guess what, so did everyone on a Honda and/or Michelins. Unless your name was Rossi or Dani, you didn't do very much.

soops

Hayden had the best bike from 03 to 06. 06 was a special bike JUST for Hayden.DP rode the 05 bike as everybody else did that year.Capi was leading the WC and it was HIS year,but the big crash in CAT did him in.As well as Melandri and Gibs.All injured.The 990 Honda was always superior by a long shot and the EVO was the culmination. WTF do you think KRSR put a HRC engine in his bike,rather than the Yamaha (with whom he had a lifelong relationship)?

In 06 Rossi had 3 mechanical DNFs,plus a host of other problems of a highly problematic bike.Hayden has not one or two lucky moments but a string of them.Fact is,such massive luck wont be seen in a long time or ever by anyone...

soops with some worldclass haden fanboy BS. Its never haydens fault and always someone else with you gimps. The truth is he is just not that good. Accept that and you will be a happier geek

Hmmm, so by your logic, Schwantz was lucky 'cause Rainey ended his career, Doohan was still regaining his form after nearly losing his leg two years before, Gardner had retired along with Mamola and Lawson too? That's racing. So is what happened in 2006. A champion must first put himself into position to capitalize on opportunity. Oh, forget it. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity so I guess that makes him lucky....just like Schwantz and Rainey for that matter. Had Doohan not nearly lost his leg in '91 Rainey wouldn't have won 3 in a row. Had Doohan remained healthy, he may never have won again. Like I wrote, that's racing. And as Schwantz said in '93, you take them as you get them.

Soops

Stoner decimated the field because he did have some advantages. Tires, electronics and bike that fit a 250GP rider that rides more like a 125GP rider. But,he did not rely on damage control or luck.Not only he won,but killed them all.In 06 Hayden had basically virtually the same bike-tire advantage as stoner had in 07.While the outcome was the same,the championship was vastly different.

07.
Pedrosa on the same bike finished second.Melandri on a leased bike finished 5th and "Mr. Consistant" finished 8th.

08,Rookie Dovi,on a POS 07 leased bike,finished ahead of Hayden..yes,the horrible bike Hayden raced in 07-while Hayden had a factory bike 2 gen. more advanced.Feel free to plug excuse

Apriliarider

Rossi never won by luck,which is why he in a position to win again.Rossi did not cry in 07 and had he not won,Rossi was and still is a contender.Same could be said of Rainey(had Doohan not crashed in Assen in 92).Rainey had won hands down(not by shear luck)and was always a leading contender.Same with KS.They were confident that if the title was lost,they could regain it.Stoner was, is and will be in a position to regain it.Hayden was and is not.

True,one must capitalize and that is what Hayden did of course.Doing damage control and taking the many lucky strikes he had winning by a hair.But a lucky champ historically has done poorly.I said that in 06 and NH is no exception.