WSBK » Miller: WSBK team by team analysis

bacause he doesn't get on the podium every weekend in WSBK doesn't mean he hasn't got the pace to do so. The mistakes, as far as I'm concerned, is due to overriding the thing to make up for the lack of pace due to the team being skint. Notice how wide his lines were through the corners compared to those he was racing with. Wasn't much 'fire it into the corner, stand it on its nose, then fire it out on the power' like Whitham regularly talks about on Eurosport was there ? More like a 250 smooth lines style to maintain the corner speed. Hats off to him for being able to adapt his style if you ask me. Plenty can't.

WSBK » Miller: WSBK team by team analysis

Sterilgarda Ducati - Shane Byrne :- Quote :- 'A split second error in each race would prevent Byrne from showing what was otherwise top five pace...' '...dropped him to last, although it did prompt an excellent fight back to tenth.' Glad to see someone in the know and worth listening to, rather than the usual one-dimensional Byrne criticisers on here, can see that he has the pace, even on a lesser machine. Every rider out there (Spies and Haga included) makes mistakes, and most of them more costly than just dropping back a few places too. Spies, although very good, has totalled that R1 more times already this season than Byrne has his Duke. The fundamental point is that just...

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

He didn't say he was number one for his seat, nor the best rider ever. Why would Bayliss bother buttering up an anonymous reporter from a freebie London paper when he had the worlds top motorsport press at his doorstep every day ? He isn't exactly famed for his love of journo's (remember his tussle when interviewed by the bloke who does the post race interviews who tried to tell him he'd won fewer times at Brands than he actually had). Bayliss still has very fond memories and ties with GSE from his BSB days and owes Healey an awful lot, so with Byrne being another BSB Champ from the GSE camp I would suggest his comment were very truthful indeed.

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

there's been talk about him'. Now I don't think Rymer will have managed to influence Bayliss to say that somehow now would he ? Go look it up if you can be bothered, but I can assure you I've just typed it word for word from the article. Ducati and Xerox idolise Bayliss, but Bayliss is close mates with Haga too so for Bayliss to say that about Shakey ahead of his pal Nori is significant in my book. And that was before the winter testing even took place !! So go chew on that you whingers.

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

ago, and Fabrizio didn't screw up, run wide or anything like that - he was pushing for the entire race. As far as Rymer doing a PR job - wrong again, ****head. Go find yourself a copy of 'The Metro' newspaper from 30th September and turn to page 54. Bayliss is interviewed about his final season in WSBK and when asked about his successor said :- "I am a big fan of BSB Champion Shane Byrne and would like see him given a chance by Ducati. There's a few names going around but I think Shakey is one who has the potential. He's well known in England and he's a fast guy. I'm sure all English people would like a world-class rider in WSBK. There's a possibility for Shane, for sure, and I know...

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

Thankyou ToneDef - I'm glad someone can see the reality. As you say, he was in the running to replace Bayliss for a long while, and its funny how Haga's consistency has now only emerged after 11 years in WSBK. I'm not saying he's not good cos christ he's good - one of the best, but that Xerox Duke is a serious trick bit of kit and obviously only Haga knows how hard he's pushing. I suggest he's not having to push 'quite' so hard on the factory duke as he has had to in the past, hence it helps with the consistency surely. I would suggest Byrne on the factory bike would be doing as good if not better job than Fabrizio. Christ, he finished less than 2 seconds behind Fabrizio only a few weeks...

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

Straight after he had dominated every winter testing session, yes I believe that was my view i.e. if Fabrizio performed this year like he did last year and Byrne maintained testing form in the races, of course it would be logical to suggest that he would depose someone like Fabrizio, especially as he already works for Ducati directly. Or are you going to argue and disagree with that being a logical statement too, based on the results straight after winter testing ? Were you honestly expecting Fabrizio to be doing what he's doing in the races (although I doubt he'll win the title either) ? I doubt it somehow.

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

If you compare the two teams, I would say Stigefelt clearly has more funding than Borcianni - for Christs sake, he's running eight bikes versus two for Sterilgarda (2 for Haslam, 2 for Hopkins, Zemke or whoever, plus 2 each for the 2 blokes in Supersport). Sterilgarda on the other hand can't even put together one decent bike for Byrne without it breaking down every other race meeting. They don't have a second rider in SBK nor do they feature in Supersport, and I don't believe they are in Superstock now either. Plus their main sponsor has now jumped in bed with Yamaha. Pretty conclusive that there's a cashflow issue and Byrne, in my book is feeling the knock on effect.

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

I don't recall saying Haslam WAS actually a 'clown', else I'd hardly have him in my MCN fantasy team, alongside Spies. (Note from that I don't actually have Shakey either, which I think shows that I'm not trying to say that he's the hottest thing out there on two wheels right now). What I am asking is why is he ANY MORE of a 'clown' than Haslam, when Haslam has been effectively spoon fed all the breaks and was basically 'born' riding a racing bike, for want of better words. Don't you think Byrne has therefore done a lot with very little, whereas Haslam has done relatively little with a lot in comparison, having had more opportunities and backing than most people could ever dream of.

WSBK » Frustrated Byrne 'looking on bright side'

Oh, and perhaps Dale and Fanboy you could bore us further with your opinions on what makes Haslam any more or less of 'a clown' than Byrne, given that he hasn't achieved anywhere near what Byrne himself has achieved and is only hanging on to his career by a thread due to a handful of reasonably impressive results this season, having been racing as a grown adult for best part of the last 12 years.