TalentFan

April 22, 2013 5:46 PM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Dovizioso edges Bautista showdown

@ Realist I was referring to the way in which he is riding - Dovi looks more in tune with the bike and natural - Rossi always looked a bit tentative and a bit like you'd expect a postman to look at a dog with a hair-trigger temperament. Rather than results per se (cos every race is different, the competiveness of other racers, bikes etc. etc.) I was looking just at Dovi on the Ducati. For example - last year Spies had such a 'mare that 1 of the top 4 bikes was AWOL, gaining MANY riders a spot they might not have got if things were 'normal'. Its not just about the final position, but HOW it was achieved if you see what i mean. To me - Dovi looks more comfortable on the Ducati & more confident on it than VR did.

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 12:52 PM

MOTOGP » Austin Moto2: Terol peerless for debut win, Espargaro crashes

Unusual mistake from Pol Espagaro. Losing a boot means there was considerable force applied to his leg / foot. I was happy to see him (albeit with support) limping and on his feet..... but - anyone have any kind of update on his condition? As the pre-season favourite and a shoe-in (sorry, couldn't resist) for the WC, then any injury is BIG news and a BIG blow to his aspirations. I hope he's ok - Pol's a great rider and the racing needs all the competition in there at the sharp end.

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 12:40 PM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Dovizioso edges Bautista showdown

You have to say that Dovi is a fine rider, and that Ducati should be well pleased with their signing, and the effort, work and skill he's demonstrating. As for all those that knock the guy & said he had his chance on the Repsol - well, it's been widely reported that AD didn't get quite the same level of support the others did. In any case - no-one has considered that Dovi might just be an even better rider today. This isn't a poke (gotta be careful as VR fans tend to be a delicate & testy bunch, and will attack like rabid terriers at the hint of anything less than praise for HIM) - but so far Dovi's pair of race weekends on the Ducati suggest he's doing a better job on it than VR did.

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 12:31 PM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: 'Great achievement' for Crutchlow, Tech 3

On the same point - I'd LOVE to know the real spend that the Manufacturer's Teams part with to run their bikes over a season. Never mind where it comes from, just a REAL total. It'd be interesting to know just how much more Honda are spending than Yamaha to beat them (let alone over Ducati and esp. the CRT's, which must be embarrasingly huge amounts). Given Spalding's article and his points about just how astronomical the impact is to Factory support just ONE extra bike to the same level as the lead pair, then Honda's spend must be mind-boggling (as well as an indication of just how far Honda are prepared to go to win). No wonder Nakamoto is pressurising Bradl to deliver - cos it's costing him a fortune!

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 12:22 PM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: 'Great achievement' for Crutchlow, Tech 3

Thing is (and Neil Spaldings recent MCN article & comments on-air support this) - it seems that Yamaha's struture, way-of-working and budgets tend to indicate that Tech 3 / Cal aren't going to get Full Factory kit. If this was a Honda (e.g. Bradl's LCR) then chances are Cal would be getting the top stuff, as he's ably demonstrating that he deserves a shot. But then HRC can afford to open the wallet a bit wider, while Yamaha simply doesn't have those kinds of resources. The fact that Honda are prepared to back Bradl (as they want him to get between their Repsol's and the Yams) shows they have the money and are willing to spend it to try and foil Yamaha (shows how much they fear/rate JL too!). I don't think Yamaha can AFFORD to support Cal more, so chances are it ain't happening.

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 9:41 AM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Pedrosa mistake ends Marquez battle

Watching the race - I thought Dani DID dig-in, did NOT roll over and was fighting to keep in touch to see if an opportunity was there to try and re-take MM for the win. MM was piling on relentless pressure and both seemed at 100%. Dani made a tiny mistake - and that's all it takes at the level they were at. It's far too soon to write DP off - he may not have won a MGP WC, but he's consistently super-fast and always in the mix. Marquez has adopted Stoner's mantle in that team well, and will be a tough challenge - but 2 races isn't enough to write off a class act IMO.

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 9:23 AM

MOTOGP » HAVE YOUR SAY: Name your Austin maestro!

Still haven't warmed to MM, and he's had the best of everything - so (even if it's not entirely fair maybe, and his huuuge talent) I don't find myself rooting for the guy. But.... his ride was scary fast yet immaculate, and he took on Dani head-to-head in his 2nd MotoGP and won it. So to be fair MM has to be rider of the day. My 2nd? Cal. Superb ride. A very close 2nd. 3rd? Probably Dovi - he's working his backside off to be able to then show off that he can really ride too (though Espagaro might just be inthere as well - what a ride on a CRT again).

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 9:12 AM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Crutchlow close to Lorenzo

I posted b4 the race that on paper with 5 full factory bikes in there, plus the testing advantage that 6th was realistic, and that 4th or even 5th would be a fantastic result. The way Cal rode today with his corner speed and closing down on the brakes, as well as the recovery and 2 great passes on AB & SB suggest that this was a top-drawer ride from CC. Controlled aggression and raw speed - even his run-on was due to him knowing that he had to try to force his way by Bradl's factory bike to make ground. Look at the No of posts on this thread btw - its a few simply cos the army of Rossi fans who would have been queuing up to lay into him have no ammo. A stunning ride & result. Keep it up Cal!

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TalentFan

April 22, 2013 9:03 AM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Rossi defensive sixth, 'lost part of a disc'

One v good race, and one lack-lustre. Too soon to work out much yet I think. Thing is though... VR has the Factory bike, and has THE most experienced and succesful crew, & all the rest. 4th here with the HRC dominance would have been acceptable to the team I'm sure. 6th will be too if there really is a brake issue (though a chunk out of a carbon disc - thought one of those would shatter - so it must be a very minor blemish maybe, or he'd not have been able to continue?). In closing laps VR had a couple of foot-off-peg moments that had nothing to do with brakes though. Jerez will be more illuminating for sure - he loves the place, knows it like the back of his hand, has his beloved Yamaha etc.

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TalentFan

April 21, 2013 1:13 PM

MOTOGP » Austin MotoGP: Lorenzo needs 'something strange'

You gotta think DP needs one of his lightning starts to lead lap 1, and maybe then 'contain' Marquez (who if gets clean air then his pace in Q suggests he might be gone as long as he keeps it on the island). Even better for JL maybe if HE can holeshot - maybe pace thru the twisties might enable him to keep his nose in front? Whatever - it looks like the race needs somebody in front of MM and able to stop him time-trialling away (like JL did in Qatar). The big problem? That pesky drive off corners and unmatched acceleration those HRC's have - makes it easier for them to pass, while making it much harder for them to GET passed by others. Can't see (barring incident) anything other than 1 of the HRC's top step today.

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