Ducati Monster Forum

Well, looks like we have a good race upon us tomorrow.

Stoner seems to have the Duc sorted after qualifying and Pedrosa on his heels.  I figure Rossi will work his way through the field for a 3rd spot on the podium.  His race pace is solid, but qualifying was terrible.  Nice to see Hayden up front, but will he fall back in the race a la Colin Edwards?

Didn't see any official thread for this week's race.

Thoughts on tomorrow?

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 41.186 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 41.269 secs
3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 41.437 secs
4. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 41.571 secs
5. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 41.609 secs
6. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 41.820 secs
7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 42.053 secs
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 42.365 secs
9. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 42.427 secs
10. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 42.580 secs
11. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 42.643 secs
12. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 42.648 secs
13. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 42.808 secs
14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 42.819 secs
15. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 43.204 secs
16. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 43.719 secs
17. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 44.558 secs

Stoner and Melandri are using some bits 'n' pieces from the 2007 bike for this race, aren't they?  If Stoner's back to his 2007 form, that'll be a pretty night-and-day change from whatever it is they reverted to using. :)

Looks like Melandri's still struggling.  :-[

The 'sedici must be one evil bastard of a racebike.

I don't understand what happen to Melandri in QP.  It didn't look like there was any problem before he lowsided, it just seemed to happen out of the blue for no reason.

It was weird...

He had just started to tip in and it was gone.

I was thinking they need to tone down the traction control. I wonder if that's causing the rear tire to bite too much because it looks like it starts pushing the rear end out of turns and that's why it wobbles. Maybe if the rear tire was allowed to slide a little when powering out of turns it wouldn't shake so much. I love Ducati but the stability on that thing is a joke. The main reason Stoner dominated last year was because of the HUGE advantage in speed. He won most races in the straightaways. That and the fact that the Michelins were melted with five laps left. This year the bikes are more balanced and so he's not able to just power past everyone. My buddies benz has traction control and when he's pushing it the traction control interferes too much and it causes the rear end to bite and jerk the car. I wonder if that's what happens with the Duc.

Anyway....GO ROSSI!!!!!

Is this being shown on TV in the states?  What channel?  Time?

I checked Moto GP's website, but can't find the info I'm looking for.  Thanks guys.

Currently on the 250cc race.. Simoncelli - he´s really doing well this season. Reminds me of Rossi a lot

Cracking good race down to the wire,very pleased with the placements ;D

great race for second  [clap] [clap] [clap]

again... rossi with the customized race leathers and helmet  [laugh]
the leathers are done up to look like a futball (?) uniform and his helmet, the ball  [laugh]

Nice race today for second place.  Rossi really had to bust it to get into that fight with Stoner.  What a pleasure to watch those two go after it.  Too bad it wasn't the fight for first, but Pedrosa was a monster today.  My God he actually smiled during the post race interview.

Was a great race!! Absolutely loved it!

To me Rossi is still the best! [thumbsup]

Ya, he locked the front is what happened.  I was shaking my fist at Rossi as he moved through the field at will from 9th.  Even though I was praying Casey could keep the gap on him, you just seemed to know Rossi was sizing him up for the pounce.  Sure enough he does and in the next few corners stands the bike up more at the exits and gaps Stoner.  Seemed to pick it up a little last 1/3 of the corner, power on sooner, let the rear slide and hook up, then just drove away.  God, I hated to see it, but he can ride!

I overheard the announcers saying Yamaha was setting Rossi's bike up like a Ducati to run better on the Bridgestones.  Moving the weight of the bike more towards the rear tire allowing it to bite better.......a Yamacati>

you know, this race really helped me retain faith in stoner as a rider. 

if he were second-rate, he would have cracked much much sooner under rossi's pressure.  and it really looked like his rear tire was made of marbles, too.

pedrobot was amazing... that kid can FLY.

you know what i think rossi did to win the position here?  he fooled everyone, including stoner, as to where he'd make his move.  it really looked like he would have made it in the left-right transition where he kept taking a wider line, setting himself up for closing off stoner in the following turn (don't know the turn numbers, sorry).  OTOH he looked weak as a late-braker off the straight, lap in lap out. 

so what does he do?  outbrakes stoner and shocks the shit outta him, only to pour on the pace right after. 

rossi is the king of execution AND setup.  i think that's what makes him so good.

Hayden ???

He's Killing Me....

it's called racecraft.  ;D

i dub thee, King of Footnotes

My thoughts exactly. Stoner has more than proven that he has cojones on that Desmo-S&M-dici and is the only dude out there that can tame it.. sort of.

Asimo did a fab job, sorta reminds me of Doohan

Exactly...only if you removed all semblance of a personality from Mick...  ;D

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Jun/080609s.htm

some interesting catalunya notes & observations here.

Pedro can be blindingly fast as long as he's got clear track in front of him.  He seems to struggle when it comes to choosing passing points.

you can say one thing about 2008: he has mastered getting away at the start.

guess that bike looping incident last year worked the final kinks out of his launch control.    ;)

 ;D

meh

Pedro is boring and overrated.  I respect his pace and consistancy, but think he has no racecraft.  Interesting that people pregnant doged about stoner winning races like that as being boring yet pedro gets praised. [roll]

Nice ride by rossi.  Glad to see casey step it up and have a nice little battle with him for a bit.

go back and watch his last two seasons of 125gp and his two years in 250gp and tell me you feel the same way.


yeah, let's have this argument again.  [roll] i'd hardly say those two situations are comparable.

...or at least pedro would have to do it that handily several more times.  like 5.. or 9.. several.

Go back and relive your glory days from little league and compare it to you struggling in the majors. [roll]

IMHO, Pedro can go like stink and do so consistently...as long as he has a clean track in front of him.  He qualifies well because it suits that exact riding style and now that he's got his starts down he is on the box pretty regularly.  Put him in traffic with a fighter, one who doesn't give him an opening via mistake, and he can't do shit.  He tries, fails, and resigns himself to the position.  He can't battle.  

When's the last time you saw him pull what Rossi did this w/e (starting from down on the grid and pick his way up the top) or what Stoner has done countless times this year and last (bad start/mid race screwup and fight his way back)?  They can _make_ a pass, Pedro needs it given to him.


Oh?  Rider takes off like a bat out of hell, gets a huge gap, and rides a consistent race to the finish with nobody in spitting distance.  You're right, not comparable at all. [roll]

But, he's not struggling.  He's had plenty of good battles.  Yeah, he's not the latest braker, he doesn't have the fastest bike, but he has plenty of racecraft.  Does he have the level that Rossi does?  No, I don't think anyone does.  But, to say he has none is simply silly.  How about Mugello last year, or Portugal, Qatar, or Catalunya last year where he and Rossi were the only 2 Michelin riders that did make the beast with two backs all?