thanks staind for the article...

Love it heaps, thanks amonqk

Oh poor little Maxy and how I miss Gibbers style!!!!

Just watched the video - an absolute classic! I think it shows reasonably well that Vale can keep pace when conditions get a little damp!

That was a great race for sure, Vale kept his head and rode like a champion.

Lorenzo offers perspective on Chinese contest

Thursday, 01 May 2008


Fiat Yamaha´s 250cc World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo, who just three races into his MotoGP career is top of the standings alongside compatriot Dani Pedrosa, was amongst a group of five riders who greeted the media at the Shanghai International circuit on Thursday, at the Pramac Grand Prix of China preview press conference.
Lorenzo has started the season in electric form and following surgery after his sensational Estoril victory is in a buoyant mood ahead of round four.
Addressing the press in the company of MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner, Colin Edwards, Toni Elias and Shinya Nakano, Lorenzo started with an update on his physical condition.
`The arm is going well, better than we expected,´ said the Spaniard who will turn 21 on Sunday. `When I had the operation the doctor told me it was worse than he originally thought, the muscle was very open. So it will certainly help me ride more comfortably, but I´m not sure it will help me ride any faster. I don´t know if I will be riding at 100%, but I hope it will be in a much better condition than in Portugal.´
Reflecting on his 2007 victory on Chinese soil, Lorenzo added, `In 250cc here last year I got the pole position, I won the race and I did the fastest lap. It´s a really fast circuit with the longest straight in the world and also has the slowest corner, so it´s strange but I like it because it´s very wide so there is room to overtake.´
When asked if he agreed that with the momentum of the championship about to gather pace his campaign would commence for real, Lorenzo pointed out that it was already well underway, commenting, `We know the season started in Qatar and only the riders who have not had good results so far are the ones who say the season starts now.´

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Stoner expects upturn in form

Thursday, 01 May 2008


Ducati Marlboro´s current MotoGP title holder, Casey Stoner, is looking to bounce back from his Jerez and Estoril disappointments this weekend at the Pramac Grand Prix of China at the Shanghai International circuit, where he was victorious in 2007.
Hoping for an upturn in form after two difficult rounds on the back of his season-opening Qatar win, Stoner stated, `These last couple of races haven´t exactly gone to plan, though we never expected them to go too well. But we didn´t expect them to go as badly as they turned out.´
`Jerez was worse than it should have been as we had the pace to finish fifth, which we would have been reasonably happy with,´ Stoner added. `We also had the pace to do better in Portugal, but we had some problems there.´
The Australian concluded, `Things haven´t gone well in these last couple of rounds, but I started well in Qatar, preseason testing was good and I´m expecting to pick the pace up again for these next races.´


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No Vale, so all you guys hanging out for pics will have to wait another day!

Goodluck Vale!!!

GO! GO! GO! GO!

When Lorenzo says...
`We know the season started in Qatar and only the riders who have not had good results so far are the ones who say the season starts now.´

Who is he talking about?

VALE:

“I think it is clear that Michelin have worked well and made an improvement,
but Shanghai is a good track for Brigestone because last year Casey won.

I was second but also Hopkins arrived in third with Bridgestone and very close to me and he beat Dani Pedrosa with Michelin.

So it is a good place to understand the level we are at.

It is more of a Bridgestone track but I think we will be competitive.

For me the biggest difference is the work with Bridgestone is more clear.

We have less tyres but when I ride exactly what we expect happens from the tyres.

Sometimes with Michelin it was more difficult for this reason to set the bike up.

The front is very strong in braking and turning.

Michelin maybe has more agility but for me the difference is that it is more clear to understand the tyres.”

Thanks Staind. That sounds nice and positive doesn't it! I know it will be a hard race already but I am so glad to hear that once again Vale has confidence in what connects him to the track.

Thanks Staind,it's great to read that he is so confident