Was Rossi blocking too aggressively?

[Smitch]

SPOILERS AHEAD for those of you not dedicated enough to have watched the race before now! 

Okay, so my homey Pete Pino is hacked off because he thinks Rossi was blocking too aggressively.  He admittedly hates Rossi, so may be a little biased.  I didn't see anything that was out of line.  HECK of a battle up until Stoner's dump.

Meanwhile, Baylissimo all but guarantees "us" a riders cup this year, and definitely a manufacturer's title!

[flynbulldog]

Rossi showed his skill, experience, and cool head keeping Stoner at bay.
I say he rode an excellent race frustrating Casey into making mistakes.
Stoner stayed with Rossi living on the edge but he just couldn't pull away.
If Stoner could have put some space in between them in the first few laps Rossi would not have had the opportunity to do what he did.

There's no such thing as blocking too aggressively, it's up to the guy in back to read his opponent and move on him in his weak moments. Casey couldn't get that done.

To his credit Stoner has the nads to hang in there, Pedrosa would have given up and settled for second. They were nearly 45 seconds in front of 3rd at one point in the race!

BTW you might want to put "SPOILER" in the heading for those who taped it and have not seen it yet.

[Randimus Maximus]

you mean like this move!



 

I think Rossi needed to put some demons at that track to bed.

[Smitch]

Rossi showed his skill, experience, and cool head keeping Stoner at bay.
I say he rode an excellent race frustrating Casey into making mistakes.
Stoner stayed with Rossi living on the edge but he just couldn't pull away.
If Stoner could have put some space in between them in the first few laps Rossi would not have had the opportunity to do what he did.

There's no such thing as blocking too aggressively, it's up to the guy in back to read his opponent and move on him in his weak moments. Casey couldn't get that done.

To his credit Stoner has the nads to hang in there, Pedrosa would have given up and settled for second. They were nearly 45 seconds in front of 3rd at one point in the race!

BTW you might want to put "SPOILER" in the heading for those who taped it and have not seen it yet.

Agreed on all points.  I didn't know they were a full 45 seconds ahead, jeesh! 

I watched the replay on youtube of some of the battle, and it actually looked like Stoner might have bumped Rossi at least once!  Haven't found any post race chatter about bad blood or anything, so everything must have been on the up and up.  Seems like Stoner and Vermulen were awful chatty though, neither was talking to Rossi.  Looked like Stoner might have been avoiding him?

[Smitch]

Interesting write up from a smarmy, Rossi favoring, (probably) English writer.  I think this is from motogpnews.com:


Do two negatives make a positive? Not always. Take the French. Snooty yet cowards. Do these two strong garlic-infused traits make the French a loveable set of cheeky chaps? No of course they don't. Nor will it ever.

But with steely determination we had to play the 'double negative' game.

Negative 1: The 2008 MotoGP season.
The earliest known record of any racing season dates back to sometime in BC when Henry the Eighth, bible in hand, bet William Tell during the battle Agincourt that his twig could float under Hadrian Wall's bridge faster than William's. William lost the race but claimed Henry had had a home river advantage and that there should be a rematch in the river Aire next to Stonehenge to make things even. Sadly William lost that race too. And later that day got an arrow in his after trying to fend off the Vikings…meanwhile Henry's son, Captain Cook, was about to invent America.
Since that first championship there have been many, many crap seasons of racing in all disciplines. With NASCAR taking a fair slice. But maybe, even including NASCAR's 'racing in a circle all day' formula, nothing has ever been as dull as the 2008 MotoGP season.
Worse still this particular race was missing Thumbelina Pedrosa - a rider so dull that his featureless expression can remove the gloss from bathroom paint - making viewing even less appealing. When Dani 'sit for your position' Pedrosa is needed to liven up proceedings you know you're in trouble. Or in Sweden. Or possibly both.

Negative 2: Laguna Seca
Everyone loves Laguna Seca…or at least they think they do. But in actual fact it's been a shite circuit for MotoGP continuously delivering us all the drama and excitement of a rambling holiday with Kimi Raikkonen.

So could these two negatives give us a positive? The insomniacs believed not. Those unfortunate percentage who failed to get some sleep whilst watching the Formula 1 earlier in the day were now settling down with a warm, milky drink expecting the MotoGP borefest to shut down their brain and finally close their bloodshot eyes.
But it wasn't to be. Instead we were to have an epic battle. Instead we were to have an epic battle. Instead we were to have an epic battle. Instead we were to have an epic battle. [Has it sunk it yet? Let's try it a couple more times…] Instead we were to have an epic battle. Instead we were to have an epic battle.

Before the race began Australian sulker Casey Stoner was so dominant that it looked as if he'd have time to grill a couple of tins of Fosters in pitlane after the race before the next man would arrive home. Fastest in all practice sessions and then easily fastest in qualifying it wasn't looking good for any rider that wasn't a sour-faced 12 year-old look-a-like. It didn't look good for us the viewer either.

From the off Casey led the way like he was captaining the First Fleet. But a certain yellow Italian wasn't about to let the Australian make him look stupid - his haircut was doing that. Into the infamous corkscrew section for the first time a fired up Valentino Rossi made his move and took the lead from Stoner. And so the epic battle began…

Knowing that Stoner had a) a face that looked as if it had just been doused in lemon juice and, more importantly b) a faster overall package Rossi wasn't about to let the son-of-a-convict get away. For every time Stoner made a sensible pass on Rossi the Italian was ready to counter it with a daring manoeuvre. Many of these manoeuvres skilfully used Casey's leg as a brake marker.
However things really turned nasty after Rossi, yellow, once again dived under Stoner at the corkscrew with all the grace and subtlety of a drunk Aussie at a royal banquet dinner. The amazing manoeuvre forced Rossi off the track and onto the sandy sand before randomly finding the tarmac and, amusingly, collecting Stoner for a brief off-track candlelit dinner. Rossi continued unaffected followed by an enraged Australian.

The pairing continued to race at a truly unbelievable pace. Despite tearing strips off each other they were so far ahead of the following pack that after they'd passed the overweight crowd could nip out for a few cheeseburgers and an IBS tablet and return to their double-sized seat before the third placed rider would even come into view.
And so it went on. Stoner was clearly the fastest. He also had the biggest teeth. Whether or not this was connected couldn't be proven at the time. After making a slight mistake and dropping back over a second Stoner was easily able to catch the basil odour of Rossi within a lap. We, and he, knew that to win he only had to make the break at the front.
But that was prove easier said than done. Especially if you have dysprosody.

Despite trying his very hardest Stoner was no match for the legendary skills of Rossi. This was to be proven strongest when Stoner put a pass on Rossi, clearly having the inside line to overtake, only for the fury Italian to ride around the Australian. It was to be too much, and in the end Stoner cracked like a sparrow's skull.

With ten laps remaining a desperate Stoner left his braking too late and, unlike Uccio, was forced to avoid the rear of Rossi running off the circuit. Whereas Rossi has the skill to ride at 100mph on the sand Stoner found at 3mph the Laguna beach too difficult and down he fell like a sack of unwanted cork-hats. Some of the impartial marshals cheered. Some of the others put down their chilli dogs and waddled over to the scene of the accident. The ambulance was then called, not for Casey - he'd gone, but for the many hyperventilating marshals. By the time the 'safety' staff made it to the scene of the accident the AMA Superbike support race was on - and Laguna was praised for its above average, all-American response time.

Rossi had won. And he totally deserved it.
Meanwhile Casey, bent boomerang and all, was still so far ahead of the third placed rider that he had enough time to gesticulate and then remount for an easy second.

Afterwards an enraged Stoner refused to shake Rossi's hand claiming the Italian had used violence instead of finesse to succeed. But as this was coming from an Australian everyone just laughed.

The excellent Chris Vermeulen made it two podiums in two - casting off his 'wet weather specialist only' riding tag and reinforcing his 'wet weather and Laguna Seca specialist only' riding tag.

Losers.

The biggest loser, for certain, was Antony West. After a season of being rubbish on the Kawasaki the Aussie reject took his dire performances to a whole new sub-plateau and was comprehensively beaten by the AMA pensioner Jamie Hacking riding as a wildcard. It was Hacking's first ever ride on the Kawasaki. Or a MotoGP bike. Ever. Yet the AMA rider was just 16 seconds away from lapping West.
It was remarked later that it was fortune for Anthony that the Laguna circuit is run anti-clockwise as if it were to have run clockwise he probably wouldn't have had enough speed to climb up the corkscrew.
At least West means there'll never be three Aussies on the podium this season.

[flynbulldog]

Wow what an arrogant ass    That dood doesn't know or care shit about MOTOGP. That write-up was an over-zealous attempt to prove the authors writing superiority, it had nothing to do with the race.
make the beast with two backstard! ( now I'm showing my superior prose)

[Smitch]

Yeah, sometimes these British dudes need to be beaten with the very thesaurus they make their living with.  Any one of the riders he insults would ride circles around his bad teeth having, cockney, limey, red coat a$$!

Oh bollux, I've gone and acting superior to everyone again!  I hope my British pounds can save me from the fat Americans who kicked my arse 200 years ago, and who could again any bloody day with both arms tied 'round their backs.  Oh rubbish...

[Smitch]

Interesting article on the subject from Superbikeplanet.  Do as I say, not as I do?

Pay It Forward: Rossi Takes It, Then Dishes It
by dean adams
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The only person who could win a PR battle with Valentino Rossi is a nun with a broken leg. Rossi's worldwide popularity--bordering on Beatle-style mania--makes it virtually impossible for anyone to arm themselves against him.

No matter what your opinion is of Rossi's riding last Sunday at the USGP--and his Alex Zanardi-style move on Casey Stoner in the Corkscrew--one thing that can't be debated is that Rossi can, just like most riders, can amp up and down the unsafe riding tactics verbiage if he comes out badly in a stuff and grab move.

Witness Rossi's statements last year wen he was locked out of a podium position by the hard-riding Toni Elias at the Turkish Grand Prix

"I'm also quite unhappy with Elias today because I think he was quite dangerous - more than once he passed me on the inside and then altered his line. This is not a correct way to race," Rossi said last April. (link to post-race quotes).

 

[cooleye]

Rossi was a little out of control on that pass...plain and simple. Stoner kept his cool and did not stand it up....

[flynbulldog]

It looked like Rossi was diving for the Apex when Casey made a perfect block. Rossi freaked and went off the track, In my opinion he got lucky there; he could have easily gone down.

[stuey99]

Interesting write up from a smarmy, Rossi favoring, (probably) English writer.

Yeah, sometimes these British dudes need to be beaten with the very thesaurus they make their living with.  Any one of the riders he insults would ride circles around his bad teeth having, cockney, limey, red coat a$$!

Oh bollux, I've gone and acting superior to everyone again!  I hope my British pounds can save me from the fat Americans who kicked my arse 200 years ago, and who could again any bloody day with both arms tied 'round their backs.  Oh rubbish...

First of all, yes I am British.  But I am no Rossi lover as you claim.  I respect every rider but have no favourite and often get accused of being a Rossi hater.  And of course they could all beat me on the track, that's why I'm stuck here on this forum and not spending my millions.

I don’t make a living off MGPN and I don't own a thesaurus to beat me with.  Sorry.  I have a dictionary somewhere but as you can tell from my terrible spelling I haven’t read it - the plot's too complex.

I'm not a cockney either, despite what TV tells you it's a little known fact that there are several other areas other than London in the UK.  I come from one of them.  And before you ask it's not Paris - that's France.

I don’t have a red coat as I don't work as a beefeater or as one of the queen's guards.  Again there are a few other jobs floating around other than the aforementioned popular employments.

Americans are the fattest nation.  We in the UK are the fattest in Europe.  I reckon we're both winners.  But I'm not sure about you 'kicking our arses 200 years ago'.  Did I miss that?  Or is that in one of your American history books?  The one where you cracked the enigma code in WW2 after you built all them castles?

I'm sure you could kick our arses (again).  There's no evidence to the contrary.


Okay, enough is enough.  Do you get my point?  You've just hurled a paragraph or so of narrow minded views whilst criticise my writing.  If you don’t like it then that's fair enough, but getting on your high horse about it whilst being hypocritical makes you look simple.  It's just humour.  I could go down the 'Americans don’t have a sense of humour' avenue but more Americans read MGPN than all the other countries put together and I think that's refreshing.

Finally I have a Ducati Monster Dark.  It has extra low clip ons.  Looks amazing, especially when parked outside Buckingham Palace.

[KRJ]

Wow, It really is a World Wide Web..

[ducducgooseme]

LOL.  nice.   

[mac020]

WoW SoCoDOG goes global! 

P.S. That was a great race!

[Smitch]

First of all, yes I am British.  But I am no Rossi lover as you claim.  I respect every rider but have no favourite and often get accused of being a Rossi hater.  And of course they could all beat me on the track, that's why I'm stuck here on this forum and not spending my millions.

I don’t make a living off MGPN and I don't own a thesaurus to beat me with.  Sorry.  I have a dictionary somewhere but as you can tell from my terrible spelling I haven’t read it - the plot's too complex.

I'm not a cockney either, despite what TV tells you it's a little known fact that there are several other areas other than London in the UK.  I come from one of them.  And before you ask it's not Paris - that's France.

I don’t have a red coat as I don't work as a beefeater or as one of the queen's guards.  Again there are a few other jobs floating around other than the aforementioned popular employments.

Americans are the fattest nation.  We in the UK are the fattest in Europe.  I reckon we're both winners.  But I'm not sure about you 'kicking our arses 200 years ago'.  Did I miss that?  Or is that in one of your American history books?  The one where you cracked the enigma code in WW2 after you built all them castles?

I'm sure you could kick our arses (again).  There's no evidence to the contrary.


Okay, enough is enough.  Do you get my point?  You've just hurled a paragraph or so of narrow minded views whilst criticise my writing.  If you don’t like it then that's fair enough, but getting on your high horse about it whilst being hypocritical makes you look simple.  It's just humour.  I could go down the 'Americans don’t have a sense of humour' avenue but more Americans read MGPN than all the other countries put together and I think that's refreshing.

Finally I have a Ducati Monster Dark.  It has extra low clip ons.  Looks amazing, especially when parked outside Buckingham Palace.

Stuey,
First, I am flattered that you would even engage this little forum of ours, no matter how many months after the fact.  Second, my apologies if I offended you.  My insults were a knee jerk reaction.  I watch a lot of Top Gear, greatest car show ever.  While I love it, Clarkson's constant jokes about Americans sometimes rub me the wrong way.  I've been to your country and admire it greatly, and while I did have positive experiences with many of your countrymen,  also had a few rude confrontations which are unfortunately more memorable.  Real or imagined, I've lately felt like Americans are constantly the butt of British jokes, so I lashed out.  Again, I apologize.  Thanks for stopping in.  But I must remind you in good fun, the arse kicking I was referring to (roughly) 200 years ago is called THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.  At least that's what we call it.  Thirteen British colonies fought for their independence and won, becoming The United States.