MOTOGP » Stoner: We kept getting faster and faster...

Gino, I hope Melandri surprises us as well. He has been around the traps for a few years on some bloody good bikes and has failed to really have a good hard go at the championship. I wonder if he has got what it takes to be someone really special, say like Mick Doohan (He was a brave rider) or a Wayne Rainey.

As far as I am concerned the main reason Rossi won the championships was due to the team in place at Repsol Honda and the hard work from Mick Doohan. I often wonder if Rossi was on a 3rd Tier Honda with last choice tyres, how he would have faired. I guess we just have to look at 2007 on a bike that was not good and no overnight specials flown in, hey?.

that applies for everybody - put them all on 3rd tier hondas and see what they do. rossi had already done something that doohan didnt dare and changed bikes and won 2 seasons on an inferior bike.
same as with schwanz; when he left suzuki - it ws an eye opener - that is when they discovered how bad the bike was / how much development it needed, but couldnt notice while shwantz was producing the results he was.
not every rider can do that.
so you're saying rossi became a champ because doohan did all the hard work for him?
never heard of that one...
who did the hard work before him on yamaha?

I have a feeling Gina that if he can get the Bridgestones to work for him Rossi will be a smasher.
The whole 800cc thing was designed to get the boys from 250's into the groove without braking too much (bones).
Marco Melandri is the dark horse.

Doohans legacy went to Cricvillé, he could only win once with it then disappeared into oblivion.
Roberts Jr. on the Suzuki took advantage of the void that was left and won one Championship.
Rossis adaptation to the 500 was just like his progression through the other classes,
one year learning, next year champ. He learned to master the evil beast that a 500 two stroke is
then the less evil 1000 four stroke (more 'sweet' in his terminology) and now has some trouble adapting
to the softened-up electronic scooters that they wish to run to please the youngsters.
He will learn

"who did the hard work on the Yamaha" - Easy, Michelin having the best tyres on offer to Rossi and him alone! overnight specials etc. Hey have you noticed just how good the 'legend'??? is without his tyre advantage.

Blinded by the circus lights some seem to be....

car,t believe i,am going to agree with gina but she right who did do all the pre work on the yamaha (Trevor). Rossi did,nt have the competition he,s got now in Stoner/ped or is it the bikes are not challenging any more(TC)and any one can ride them (Schumacher)

he always wants to learn

and of course they had to soften up the bikes. seeing how many times stoner crashed the season before, they got really worried.

Trevor. So Rossi has to thank doohan for his Genius? Unbelievable. And I suppose Doohan has Gardner to thank and Gardner has dame Edner and she has Rolf bloody Harris.

Gina!

You would have to be one of the most Rossi blinded person i've come across! Yes he is great and all the other stuff but let it go! He just got out riden this year by someone who was more hungry!(Someone not thinking of doing rallies etc) As for Stoners crashes last year, look at any interview he's done! He never liked the feel of the front tyre! Once he had the Bridestone front that suited his style confidence came back!