DA's Journey to Jerez

[Dark Angel]

Well, we?re off to Jerez tomorrow!

Two years ago, I think everyone was looking forward to a fantastic season?s racing when Vale switched to Yamaha. We got it! Then, last year, I think everyone was looking forward to a fantastic season?s racing as Vale faced the onslaught of the mighty Honda Racing Corporation in defence of his World Championship title. We got it ? right from the start with the Rossi/Gibernau ?dice to the death? on that last corner. Ironically, as the year ended, Honda?s new advertisement ?To Dream the Impossible Dream? seemed to have become a reality as Yamaha won everything: the Rider, Team and Constructors Championships!

For 2006-7, I?m looking forward to a fan-TASTIC year?s racing as, once again,Yamaha go for the Triple Crown against the Honda Hordes. (Sorry, Max!) With both Honda and Yamaha camps apparently suffering with handling problems, and while Ducati?s speed machines continue to impress, we also have the expectation building for a potential four- or even five-way battle between Rossi, an ever-evolving and confident Colin Edwards, Melandri, Capirossi and, of course your own, your very own Sete Gibernau. b0x1

The young guns are out there, too, with Hayden, Pedrosa, Elias, Vermeulen and Hopkins with plenty to prove. Even ?old hand? Kenny Roberts could be in with a shout, now that he, too, is Honda-borne, so I reckon this season will be one of the best and, potentially, one of the most surprising seasons ever. And it all kicks off this weekend in Jerez! :lick:

Gosh! I can hardly wait!

Come on, then; place yer bets! :}

 

[Samster]

It's really difficult to call DA - I haven't a clue how it's going to pan out, I agree that this could be one of the best seasons ever!

I was saying to Eddy yesterday that if VR's problem was 'real' and more than just his pre-season mind games then surely we would have seen him throw a bike or two up the track by now? He reckons he's 10mph slower into fast corners than the competition due to chatter and vibes. I don't know but I'd imagine that you would at some stage attempt to ride through the problem and possibly bin it, or knowing you were losing so much time getting in to the bends you'd give it hell for leather everywhere else and bin it through trying to hard. I've not heard of VR throwing a bike all winter? So is it all mind games again?

I'm hoping to see the teeny little Pedrosa on the podium more than three times, same for Shinya Nakano, he's been making really good progress over the winter. There's so much young talent in the field that anybody could take race wins this year. Hayden was really hot towards the back end of last year, and now teamed with Pedrosa on the factory Repsol Hondas I think this team are going to be hard to beat.

We should have go our acts together and devised some sort of 'fantasy MotoGP' game on here, like people do with the footie............

So will Valentino win the first race of the season for the 6th consecutive season?

 

[Rolfy Dave]

To Eric & Lorraine

Have a great time this weekend...

Jan & I were trying to get over for the race to, but unfortunately, we could only get to start our holiday on the monday after :cry:

Still, good weater is forecast, so it should be wonderful for you..

Maybe get together for Valencia in October (we have a spare bedroom if needed)

Loads of love to ya both,

Dave & Jan
:beer: :k

 

[Dark Angel]

Who Will Win The First Race?

You?re so right, Sam! It?s really difficult to call! :yo:

After all the drama, I started to wonder whether Yamaha might have been experimenting with some new parts ? or with some kind of new setup at the front (brakes/suspension/geometry). The way Rossi and Edwards had been expressing their delight with the bike seems to indicate that Yamaha had achieved all the data they required for the start of the season. This is pure speculation, of course, but it?s backed-up by Edwards? recent acquisition of a new BMW car, and this in turn suggests strongly that some kind of experimentation may have been undertaken. To cap it all, Rossi?s declaration of: ?We?re in the shit! We don?t know how to fix the bike!? was taken with so many pinches of salt that predictions are there won?t be any seasoning left for Christmas!

Another thing to bear in mind is that Edwards, on a competitive bike and in a familiar team will revert to type ? he?s a racer and he will want to win (Lap record-holder at Donnington, don?t forget ? he?s quick!). Remember Laguna Seca, last year? Afterwards, Rossi said that he was going to challenge Edwards for second place, ?But then, in my mind, I saw two Yamahas in the gravel?? Edwards will not defer to Rossi if a win is on the cards ? he?s competitive: fisticuffs in the Yamaha garage? Could be! b0x2

So..who will win the first race of the season?

My heart says that it will be Rossi, but in my head ?

I ain?t got a fekkin? clue! :dunno:

Roll on, JEREZ R#? ............. YEEEEE-HAH-hhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

 

[Dark Angel]

Hiya, Rolfy..!!

Hiya Rolfy!

I wish we could have got together ? but it wasn?t meant to be ? bugger! :bang: Never mind! As you say, maybe we can get together for Valencia.

Despite the, er, variable weather conditions that we experienced last year, Lorraine has already suggested that we ride across to Valencia after Estoril. I?d love to do it, but we?ve already got all our tickets and accommodation sorted for this year (Jerez, Mugello & Estoril) and Valencia would be an ?extra? trip.
brok3

With the season seeming so unpredictable and exciting, it might be that we?ll be missing what could be the deciding race for the championship, but at this stage, due to work and holiday commitments, we could only put ourselves forward as ?possible maybe?s?. As the season?s end approaches, however, you should be prepared to receive a significant number of begging letters and promises of great wealth from yours truly, in return for the use of the aforementioned spare bedroom!

It?s great to hear from you, Rolfy! Have a brilliant holiday and we?ll see ya soon!

Hugs ?n? Stuff from E&L :beer: :k

 

[Samster]

This time last year............................

 

[RHINO]

Have a safe trip folks, jelous as hell but hey, i'm going to Matlock to see it on the big screen

ROSSI ROSSI

I'll have a wee bet on him.

 

[Rolfy Dave]

Have a safe trip folks, jelous as hell but hey, i'm going to Matlock to see it on the big screen

ROSSI ROSSI

I'll have a wee bet on him.

Dont think you will get very good odds mate:cry:

Enjoy,

Rolfy
:beer:

ps... I dont care wot ya ride mate... as long as you dont take my sticker personally..

 

[Gerrard]

This Season GPs

Well always a killjoy me!
I hope that Rossi dosn't win the first race, its getting boring with one bloke winning 12 races a season. it?s not actually riviting stuff is it? All too predictable.
But who could make a go of it?
Melandri seems the best bet.
Haydon- allthough he?s bloody fast I?m not so sure he has the necessary killer instinct. we shall see.
Edwards will win an odd race but there?s no consistancy with his racing.
Pedrosa has it all, but previous form shows the statistics are not in his favour to win a Moto GP first time out.
Capparossi again will be good enough for a win, but not a seasons worth.
Sete- No luck at all last year. Has he got the mind set to blank it out and start afresh - Tough call.
There are a couple of outsiders that could spring a suprise - Roberts on a V5 and Melandri?s team mate...Toni Elias...

Cat firmly placed amongst the pigeons!
Will Kawasaki ever win the championship.?
Will a Japonese rider ever win the championship.?
Will Ducati ever win the championship.?

Zippo

 

[Samster]

Some stats about the opening race:

The rider who has won the first race of the season has gone on to win the title on 31 occasions in the last 57 years.

On 41 occasions, the rider who has won the championship has finished on the podium in the opening race.

In the last 20 years, a rider who has finished on the podium in the opening round has gone on to take the title 16 times.

 

[Dark Angel]

...Killjoy??...Never!

Hey Paul, you're just adding to the excitement!

Look at all the names you've named - and all the possibilities you've mentioned. Plus - hasn't Sete been quiet? Quiet as a mouse! No fancy claims about what he's going to do this season. Nothing - nothing at all from him! I wonder why?

Honestly - I know I say it every year, but, for me at least, the past four seasons (singalong, anyone?) have been great. This year will be the last of the "big bikes" as we know them before the downgrade to 800cc, but every year since Rossi started winning GP's has had a sense of history about it - and this year is no exception!

I hope and believe that a very serious threat can be mounted against Rossi's supremacy - and that threat can come from anywhere - as you pointed out so well in your post! Everyone is out to get him - including Edwards - and the only part of your post that I can't agree with is that Edwards is inconsistent. I hope he proves me right - and I'm sure he will!

Anyway, I hope we can get to see you and Trudi around Mugello time - you know I'm not really interested in all this "motorbike" stuff - but we could chat about it over a beer or two for a few minutes, if you like!

Well...That's it, until we get back from our "splash-and-dash" to Jerez.

Thanks guys for your good wishes - see y'all soon!

 

[Dark Angel]

...Bloody-HELL...!!!!!

Well?What a Start to the Season!

To say that the atmosphere at Jerez seethed with anticipation would be the greatest understatement of the MotoGP era. No! Change that! To say that the achievements of Ducati/Dunlop, Capirossi, Pedrosa, Elias and Stoner were ?excellent?; now that would be the greatest understatement of the MotoGP era! Plus - at the end of the race there would be an added twist as neither Gibernau nor Rossi would challenge for the win! Who would have predicted that?!

I expected a cracking start to the season ? but I never expected anything like this ? it?s unbelievable! We watched on the big screen as the race got underway in a raucously-packed arena ? which was stunned into a momentary silence as Rossi hit the deck. Events took on a strange, dreamlike quality as the fall was replayed on the big, trackside screens and then there was no more time to think as the pack came thundering by, in angry pursuit of a sliding, bucking Ducati. :bow:

Honestly, for a few laps in all the confusion, the word began to spread that Gibernau had been the one who had done for Rossi ? just imagine that ? a payback for last season! If it was true, what was to come for the rest of the year?! The rumour was further fuelled when Gibernau pulled out with mechanical problems as the speculation grew that he?d damaged his bike in his ?collision? with Rossi. Don?t forget ? at trackside you don?t get spoon-fed with a TV commentary, and I?m telling you ? at least as far as we were concerned - World war III was about to start!

As the race began to settle, the performance of Pedrosa brought the crowd to its feet time and time again as they willed him on in his battle with Capirossi, while Hayden fought as hard as ever to stay with the leaders, but to no avail. Almost unnoticed, Casey Stoner made his own mark with an astonishing ride into the top ten of the world?s fastest riders, while Colin Edwards, on the bike currently lauded as the best in MotoGP, slipped further and further down the order as Tony Elias came through to beat Melandri to fourth place. What?! Maybe this is the beginning of a new order!

As the field began to spread out, a distinctive new note made itself heard above the now-commonplace, hollow bark of the ?big bang? engines: the metallic, slightly-crazed howl of the Rizzla Suzuki has my vote as the best-sounding bike in MotoGP ? a crown it inherits from the wailing Kawasakis of a couple of seasons ago. But it was the thundering Ducati that took the day and MotoGP has been turned upside down in a way that I, for one, had hoped for but never expected.

It?s gone 3 am ? we?ve only just got home after our flight was delayed due to the French air traffic controllers? strike. We?ve come from seventy-degree sunshine to rain, wind and cold ? and I still can?t get the grin off me mush at the thought of what I?ve seen ? and of what?s to come!

Like I said: what a start to the season! :yo:

 

[OzCrow]

A tad excited are we mate? Good write-up and I agree, it's gunna be a cracker of a season. :yo:

 

[Gerrard]

Spainish GP

Hi DA
Well I'm glad you managed to get to the GP at Jerez, 'cos to me its one of the all time great tracks and races.
It seems Toni Elias was the one that had the coming together with Rossi, and considering he lost a few places in the process his ride was one of the best, and Loris and Dani were stars of the day, although I have noticed Nicky Haydon started showing his capabilities last year and is continuing to develop.
He had a lot 3rds last year and got 3rd place this time, I'm wondering if its a case of different riders finishing 1st and 2nd with Haydon always being the bridesmaid if you get my drift... I hope not.
So if Sam's stats are right its Loris or Dani for the championship. It will be interesting to see how many 3rds Haydon will get over the season though it must be said he is doing a lot of develpoment work while still trying to race.
We must try and meet up at Mugello, we have planned our trip to the race with a few stops on the riviera and one in France to see the Millau bridge, so keep in touch.
Paul

 

[Oldbull]

Wow.. great write up.. thanks for sharing.. Im not jealous, I allways throw up when I go green :cry::cry:

some very interesting comments but bare in mind that it was yound Danni's Home GP and the crowd gave him another 10bhp :bow:

Edwards will be on around his usual sixth or seventh all year again tho ...

but....

ROSSI WILL WIN THE NEXT GP BY AT LEAST HALF A LAP NO MATTER WHERE IT IS OR WHAT BIKE HES ON b0x1

Remember the last time they made him angry with the 10 second penalty at Philip Island ... get ready cos hes seething :yo:

 

[RHINO]

DA, stonking write-up mate.

Ever thought of a job with MCN h1d1ng2

Glad you both enjoyed it, i was thinking about you when 'GOD' hit the deck, i could almost feel your frustration.
Must say, i'm jelous as hell at you being there and me being in ManKchester.
I thought you'd ridden down and braved the changing weather en route. I really fancy 'Valencia' 2006, though will have to do some sweet talking.

 

[Dark Angel]

A tad excited are we mate?

Hey, Oz: some call it ?enthusiasm?, some call it ?sensationalism? ? and some call it ?journalistic licence?. Take your pick, mate ? as long as you enjoyed it ?ya can call it what ya like!

We must try and meet up at Mugello, we have planned our trip to the race with a few stops on the riviera and one in France to see the Millau bridge, so keep in touch.

Hi Paul, I?m mighty glad I didn?t miss this season?s opener ? I hope there?ll be a lot more drama to come! Our itinerary for Mugello is already confirmed and we?ll be travelling through France and Switzerland into Italy. We?ll sort out how we can get together at Mugello a bit nearer the date, but until then, take care and give Trudi a hug for us. See ya soon!

Remember the last time they made him angry with the 10 second penalty at Philip Island ... get ready cos hes seething

Isn?t it great, OB?! And thanks for reminding us of that glorious ride by Rossi ? but ? can he do the same on this year?s Yamaha? He?s already started comparative tests using the ?05 bike as a baseline, but all the while Gibernau is getting faster and Capirossi (as ever) is pushing the Ducati beyond its expected performance parameters, while Pedrosa, Hayden, Melandri and Stoner will be growing in confidence after the opening race of the season. And Rossi? He was seething when he tasted the tarmac at Jerez ? but by now his initial anger will probably have evolved into a cold, fury-driven determination to defend his crown.

I guess the party?s only just getting started!

DA, stonking write-up mate. Glad you both enjoyed it, i was thinking about you when 'GOD' hit the deck, i could almost feel your frustration..

Hi John ? glad you enjoyed the ?rant/rave?, M8! Lorraine and I both wanted to use the bike for Jerez, but we couldn?t get the time off work ? hence the ?fly-by?. It?s looking the same for Valencia, too, unfortunately, but we?ll be headed for Donington for the British, so we?ll get to see plenty of racing this year.

I must say, I wasn?t frustrated when Rossi hit the deck ? I was too blown-away by the fact that he was down to react in any meaningful way ? and so were a lot of other people, too. The noise and passion at Jerez was fantastic, but the crowd was shocked into silence when Rossi went out. It didn?t take long, though, for normal service to be resumed when Pedrosa took second place away from Hayden ? it was absolute bedlam!

Take it easy, Big Man, and we?ll see ya soon, we hope! :beer:

(Who?s Martin?) b0x1

 

[Oldbull]

Like I say DA, it will not matter what bike Rossi is on next time out and if you think about it,there is less than a second between them all....bikes not riders..

Rossi is the only guy out there that is still 10% better than the bike and not the other way round, so theres two seconds back to start with.. the last two years he has won the title after the first couple of races and in my opinion got a little complacent because he knows he still has enough in hand.. which you are allowed when your god lol.. Best thing that could have happened for the fans and the next round he WILL clear off :bow:

cant wait me :yo::yo:

 

[Samster]

Let's see some 'polls' being posted on here! I'll kick off the 'will Rossi clear off in the next round' one............. personally I don't think so

 

[Gerrard]

Rossi

In the modern GPs as we know them, the only 2 riders I thought that ever used to clear off with any regularity were Schwantz and Doohan :bow: , though Schwantz had the problem of getting well in front then going to sleep and falling off... but IMO the Master was Doohan and still is by a long way...20 to 30 seconds in some races.
Rossi tries to get away and for a couple of laps he can but a few of the lads seem to catch him up again, though I must say that all the first 3 or 4 riders in most of the races are well in front of the rest.
I'm not saying Rossi will never do it, but Doohan was in a league of his own on that score.and many other scores.
Zippo