WSBK » Haga suffers suspected fractured vertebra.

Well said JIM. What I've been saying all year. Fortunately Ducati are now paying Shakey some direct attention and levelling the playingfield a bit more in terms of machinery, although I still think that Sterilgarda bike is some way off being full factory spec. Byrnes riding ability is what is making it look better than it is. If he had a factory Xerox bike, as you say, he'd be knocking on the podium every week - I'd lay money on it. Personally I don't think Fabrizio did anywhere near well enough last season to deserve the factory bike this year. Shakey on the other hand won the BSB title again for Ducati after a three year drought. He deserved that factory ride more. Isn't an Italian tho

WSBK » Haga suffers suspected fractured vertebra.

Who'se beating a dead horse ? With what ? And I think the phrase you are looking for is 'flogging a dead horse' actually...

WSBK » Haga suffers suspected fractured vertebra.

They'd have to convince Hayden that his MotoGP career was finished with only 1/3 of the season being over, plus hope Canepa could do better, plus find a replacement for Canepa himself and hope he worked out OK plus hope Hayden could seamlessly switch to WSBK (look how Hopkins, Nakano and even Biaggi have fared). Less risk upgrading Shakey to effectively the same bike and slotting someone into the Sterilgarda team in his place. After all Sterilgarda haven't got anything to lose have they ? Only worry would be that if Haga isn't as badly bashed up as first thought and comes back in a couple of rounds time, would Shakey get his Sterilgarda ride back ? Contracts would have to kick in I guess...

WSBK » Haga suffers suspected fractured vertebra.

So if Bayliss is out of the frame then who ? Nobody in Britain currently could do it justice. Mladin won't take the risk. Superstock rider (Simeon is it ?) wouldn't even make it past Superpole 3... I say give it to Byrne who is a Ducati factory rider anyway and put a lesser name on that Sterilgarda bike... Walker let the cat out of the bag today in the Eurosport studio by saying that the Sterilgarda bike has to be easily 1000rpm down on the Xerox Ducatis by just hearing them tearing down the straight together. So for Byrne to be able to hold Fabrizio off the way he did today and qualify 3rd tells me if he was on a full factory Xerox bike he could definitely be right up there. Come on Xerox.

WSBK » Haga suffers suspected fractured vertebra.

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see Bayliss step in for a few rounds and protect Tardozzi's championship hopes plus try to limit Spies winning potential. Bayliss did apparently comment that it would have been good to see just how Spies stacked up against him - now is a perfect chance - no championship to protect, just go out and race... Unless Ducati pull some strings and we see Shakey (who works for Ducati not Sterilgarda) get a few rides on the Xerox machine and someone else can fill in for him at Sterilgarda, although I can't see Borciani being too chuffed if that were the case... Stranger things have happened although Bayliss seems the most likely bet..

WSBK » Byrne: Podium boosts my confidence

...the middle of a sentence again. No full stop after 'projections' and before 'This' ??? 'Oh and your a Byrne fan...' rather than 'Oh and you're a Byrne fan...'. Yeah... I'm sure a professional Psychologist would make that number of primary school **** ups in the space of a couple of sentences. Go back to school and learn how to write you c0ck...

WSBK » Byrne: Podium boosts my confidence

So Dr Martin Daly is a professional Psychologist is he ? That sort of job is usually the reserve of people with a high degree of intelligence and excellent communication skills (both written and oral) so I'd hardly expect someone of that calibre to make primary school level spelling and grammar mistakes such as :- 'Whatever your calling yourself', rather than 'Whatever you're calling yourself'... 'you Have' rather than 'you have' (capitals in the middle of a sentence ????) 'with this your manifesting...' rather than 'with this you're manifesting...' 'some Psychological projection this occurs when' rather than 'some psychological projections. This occurs when...' (capitals in...

WSBK » Byrne: Podium boosts my confidence

Oh and just for 'dickbrain' Dale's benefit, there were actually 6 Ducati's out on track - Lavilla on the second Guandalini bike and Lanzi on the DFX. Smrz and Fabrizio started ahead of Byrne anyway (albeit only 1 or 2 places). Haga was the only Duke that actually passed Shakey off the start. Smrz only passed him because he lost the back and almost highsided, letting Smrz past. By the end of the race he was only 3 seconds from Haga and tenths away from Smrz. One more lap and he'd have had Checa and Smrz for 4th. The point being made is that his form has greatly IMPROVED at this round. He doesn't have to win both races (yet) for his results to be taking a turn for the better....

WSBK » Byrne: Podium boosts my confidence

What does 'part time' have to do with it ? Lavilla and Lanzi have much more experience of Misano than Byrne, plus they've both ridden factory spec Dukes before to reasonable effect in Lanzi's case (Xerox bike) and great effect in Lavilla's case - BSB winner on one in 2005. Neither of them are completely new to their bikes this year either, having completed two full quali and practice sessions at Miller and Misano, plus 3 full races by the time the Misano 2nd race got under way. 15th & 18th is all they could manage. Besides, you reckoned that Misano suited Ducatis which is why Byrne was where he was ? How come Lanzi and Lavilla weren't at least top 10 then ? C0ck...

WSBK » Byrne: Podium boosts my confidence

"...After all these years racing and still no racecraft..." What do you think storming to the front at the first corner and getting out in front of the field to avoid the first-corner-carnage that usually ensues in a dry race, let alone a wet race is then ? It was clearly stated that switching bikes due to drying conditions was a first timer in the entire history of WSBK, so how the f**k can you expect anyone to have any 'racecraft' or experience in those circumstances ? Spies was nothing but lucky in terms of when he came in to switch bikes, plus it wouldn't have been his decision anyway, it would have been his teams decision who had more info to go on than he did.