MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

Gina is there a link with Stoner's comments about his bike been set up wrongly in Brno? It's the first time I'm hearing of this.

MOTOGP » Rossi seeks speed for home showdown.

Indeed he did look disappointed, but what did he expect, he was slower through all practice sessions, and Stoner gives no quarter when it comes to qualifying. It's the race that counts though, -a fact that many people like to forget- and the real joy or disappointment is to come from tommorrows race. Still yet, even if Rossi comes second he'll be closer to the championship...

MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

And as a bottom line, I would add that you can't really compare riders on different machinery, and to truly judge them you need to put them into distant, really distant perspective. Stoner is fast, with a good fighting spirit but in no way just because of a handful of good qualifications could he be named "fastest of them all" once and for all.

MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

Yes, but if Stoner was truly faster he wouldn't have been caught would he?

MOTOGP » Misano - Qualifying times.

As far as the championship is concerned, Rossi isn't hot on his heels, indeed. However he knows he has some history to make, so he might just be carried a bit away in order to gain his 68th victory, in front of his home crowd and most importantly, in front of Agostini himself.

MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

And before that? wasn't he then the fastest? And why didn't he win all those races? Why did he make those mistakes? Stoner is, indeed very fast, maybe faster than Rossi but he hasn't turned himself to a better racer yet. A rider is a different thing from a racer.

MOTOGP » Misano - Qualifying times.

Gobbledegook: lol! Nice wordplay there, turning "oxymoron" into "oxy moron" I think people dislike sportsmen who are in the scene for the victories and not for the fighting. The result in both cases is individuals with high motivation, it's just that the former feel better when they win by miles, the latter feel better when they win after gruelling matches. No wonder people prefer the latter...

MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

Maybe Stoner is, indeed, better than Rossi, only he hasn't proved that yet.

MOTOGP » Rossi seeks speed for home showdown.

I'm with you guys too. The rookies will have come of age (Dovizioso probably on a factory bike too), some old -not so successful- dogs will have new opportunities on new machinery, Stoner will be biting his lips to regain his crown (if he loses it) and Rossi will be the man to beat if he manages this year's championship. If only Eurosport was still broadcasting...

MOTOGP » Stoner: I can deal with the pain.

Kees you might be right, but I think there should be one of the following corrections to your remark, make your pick: 1. Nobody rides a bike faster than him, sometimes. 2. Nobody rides a Ducati faster than him. 3. Nobody rides a bike faster than him when fast means close to falling. 4. Nobody rides a bike faster than him in practice&qualifying sessions. 5. Nobody rides a bike faster than him except some other riders, sometimes. 6. Nobody rides a bike faster than him except when someone is in front of him. Given his current situation I think any one of the above is more correct than your own statement.