Crash.net's French GP blog: Saturday.

you can't be anything but impressed with the way JT has handled his start to moto gp. i just hope he can get back into the mix and that shanghai was just a small blip.

we all know the difference between fast and last is getting tighter every year, so here's hoping the new settings get him back to the sharp end ?

COME ON JAMES.............AND BRADDERS !!

Yes Lorenzo is crashing quite a bit and yes he's been hurt rather badly. But if he's ready to race is up to the doctor and rather more importantly himself. Lorenzo is probbaly on the best bike out there (Yamaha on Michelins) this season and he's in it with a shot at the title in his rookie year. For al he knows Honda or Ducati come out all guns blazing next season and he might have to wait several years to get another crack at a title. So you can't blame him for trying. The amount of risks he takes is up to him.

It seems JL doesn't do any good for himself. It could be smarter to put his ego in the corner and skip this race. It seems he lost some confidence and two crashes in the FPs should be enough warning for him...

quit?i guess he's never thought about that,even in the hardest time in china,he chose to join the race,so how could he decide to quit now~~
even though there's only 1% possibility,he would try...take care?he'll forget everything when he's on bike...

Well... he had two crashes and he's got away without further injuries. They will have a QP and the race so he might have another one and he might get injured more in which case he has to skip the next X races. The other option is to slow his pace down then he won't score points so why doesn't he just take a rest and come back competitive for the next race? If it is the end of the championship then the risk taking would make sense but now - for me - it looks plain stupid...

i think the risk of riding and maybe injuring himself worse is completely up to lorenzo, because after all it's his body he's destroying and he has to know what he wants to do with that.
i would be more worried about other riders in the race though, in case he makes another mistake there while being in a bigger group and when he can't control the bike that he might take out other riders.

Mike Nicks you are talking rubbish about Lorenzo ! If he wants to race and is passed fit then let him. Dont try and protect him. He is a big boy now. Its just like people saying Robert Dunlops sons should not race today because their dad got killed on Thursday. By the way Micheal Dunlop won the 250cc race at the North West 200 today

Damn right let him race: if he beats Rossi by a few points come the end of the season he'll be glad he took the risk.

of course everyone knows that he might injure more,but if he decide to do that,nobody can prevent...
whether stupid or not,he must have taken them into consideration,since he decided to go on,i just can pray

Should Lorenzo compete? Yes? No? We all have our thoughts on the matter,but in tne end the choice belongs to Lorenzo. LeMans is a good track for corner passes but you need to be up front and I don't think Lorenzo can mantain the pace,riding hurt,sorry. The race again this time out will be,again Padrosa and Rossi,with Stoner staying near the front until he gets frustrated with his sick Ducati. After a very close and exciting fight for the win, in the end Rossi will prevail! Ask how I know...well I was lucky enough toread the script.

Lorenzo is not fit to race and he is placing not just himself but others at risk because when he ran across the gravel and came bounding back on to the track he had no way of knowing if another rider was coming and he was not in control of the bike. You need your legs and your feet hard on pegs. But this is not a decision he should be making. I remember racing with a badly broken collarbone and when the bike crossed up I just fell off of it. I also encouraged my son to race a half mile Texas Dirt Track when he had a badly injured shoulder. Dean Miller told it to me straight...if he crashes he could seriously hurt himself. But he needed points. The medical staff is being irresponsible.

I saw Lorenzo going wide and running out of track twice today. Was he out of controle, or just trying to hard? Only Lorenzo can answer that one. Being 'in controle' is very relative in MotoGP, no? I remeber 1994 and Schwantz beating Doohan with an outside outbraking move down Melbourne Loop in Donington, with a broken left wrist. Schwantz was riding onehanded most of the race. Was he in controle? Probably more than I will ever be one a bike. Schwantz only regretted riding injured after he stopped, for not being able to play golf because of mangled wrists...

Even if Lorenzo is racing injured & taking risks he can still finish easily in the top 10 & score points though riding at possibly 75% of his ability.Reason, Only 18 starters, allow for West (If dry) last (if wet)leading then falling off! Guintoli,De Angelis,Nakano,De Puniet & Melandri either falling off or being way slower.In the points at 13th already, then with Dovizioso,Hopkins,Hayden,Vermeulen & Capirossi all a bit iffy on consistency he's on to 8th at least!!!!

When watching him ride like this you just think: When or where is the next crash going to be, will it be worst than the last?
You can say he can decide for himself, after all he is a grownup now (just) at 21.
You can also say here's a young bloke wasting himself, someone has got to talk some sense into him.

Is it just me getting old or are the crashes in MotoGP,WSBK & BSB this year getting a whole lot more scary to watch?

If you look into FIM history you will see that in 1991 only 13 of 15 races counted in the GP series. This was a rule made to prevent riders from riding injured. It was a proposal by Sito Pons and went to a 6-6 tie in the CCR when further debate was opened. I participated in that debate as IRRPA presidente (press assiciation) and spoke in favor of throwing away two results because I had seen Gardner riding when not capable of controlling the bike. The next year the rule was reversed because it was "confusing" for fans and journalists. I still back that rule to prevent what Lorenzo is doing. It should never be up to a rider to decide if he is fit. That is for the FIM Medical authorities.

At the end of the day Lorenzo (or any other motogp rider) is probably never going to withdraw voluntarily for the reasons many have mentioned. Most notable in his case the chance to be world champion in his first season. Does anyone know how bad an injury needs to be for someone step in and overrule the rider for his own good?

Well, he needs to be able to get up and run off the track if he crashes and he needs to have strength in his arms and legs to fight off a high-sider. Maybe he should be able to do 20 pushups, count backwards from 20, remember what country he is in and jump off a chair....I have seen riders go out into races who could do none of these things. I have also seen one-armed dirt track riders who jammed the stump of their arms into a cone on the handlebar and could lap with the best of them...even with the throttle and clutch on the left side. Remnember when Wayne Rainey pulled out of the Dutch in 1992? He was seeing double, could barely walk and was in terrible pain. But the FIM said he was fit!

What role does Dr. Costa and his Clinica Mobile play in all this?
It seems to me he never declares a rider unfit to race and prides himself in making the impossible possible...

Personally, I think JL should sit out on this one because, we've only been hearing about him crashing this weekend and what if crashes during the race. He's only going to be injuring himself more. Even if he doesn't crash out he'll be putting pressure on his leg. Meaning he can't push as hard and won't be able to put up those great fights he usually does.