Rossi...................GOD

[Steve G.]

I am not of Italian decent or nationality, nor American decent or nationality, so I consider myself unbiased in view regarding the Phillip Island race today. I think it has come down to this. Either Mr. Rossi is going to have to get old very fast, retire, crash bad [gosh I hope not], or jump on a seriously underachieving bike. If none of these things happen, Mr. Hayden has no chance. I really like Mr. Hayden, his humbleness is very refreshing, he is well spoken, and certainly in the top 4 roadracers in the world right now. His superior machine still cannot win the day for him.

Mr. Rossi is playing these guys like a violin.

Ciao, Steve G.

[Guest GGuzzi]

I am not of Italian decent or nationality, nor American decent or nationality, so I consider myself unbiased in view regarding the Phillip Island race today.  I think it has come down to this. Either Mr. Rossi is going to have to get old very fast, retire, crash bad [gosh I hope not], or jump on a seriously underachieving bike. If none of these things happen, Mr. Hayden has no chance. I really like Mr. Hayden, his humbleness is very refreshing, he is well spoken, and certainly in the top 4 roadracers in the world right now. His superior machine still cannot win the day for him.

Mr. Rossi is playing these guys like a violin.

                                                                            Ciao, Steve G.

63460[/snapback]

 

Rossi rules. A virtuoso of the Moto..Prodigy...need I say more... Armstrong minus the blood doping....

[Guest 2wheelin2dn]

it's going to be quite a while before someone comes along who can touch rossi. he's so dominant on a regular basis. whoever can compete with him, sure isn't in MotoGP right now. pedrosa perhaps? probably not. probably someone even younger. my hat's off to mr. rossi.

[Guest philbo]

it's going to be quite a while before someone comes along who can touch rossi.  he's so dominant on a regular basis.  whoever can compete with him, sure isn't in MotoGP right now.  pedrosa perhaps?  probably not.  probably someone even younger.  my hat's off to mr. rossi.

63477[/snapback]

 

Just watching that cat and mouse game yesterday was amazing. Agostini has always been my hero but Rossi is getting up there.

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

Mr. Rossi is playing these guys like a violin.

                               

63460[/snapback]

 

Sometimes he plays a jig, sometimes he plays a Bach partita. Whatever he plays, just stop whatever you are doing and listen (watch) because it is a virtuoso performance!!!!

[Baldini]

... I really like Mr. Hayden, his humbleness is very refreshing...

 

Yeh. He follows Rossi watches & learns, not afraid to admit as much. He's getting fast consistently. Great attitude (Gibernau could learn a bit off him).

Good luck to him.

 

But Rossi is a one off.

 

KB

[g.forrest]

HAYDEN PUT ON A GOOD SHOW,AS DID MELLANDRI, BUT ROSSI'S THE RING MASTER.

[stogieBill]

Something I noticed seeing Rossi at Laguna Seca this year. The guy's a sandbagger. Don't take this wrong, but I think he could have won at Laguna Seca.

 

He's a lot like King Kenny in that he won't just run away from the field even if he could. He knows the crowds want to see a race.

 

With Hayden leading and Edwards in second and Rossi way behind (2-3 seconds) and a couple of laps to go, suddenly Rossi starts flying and in a lap is on Edwards ass. I think he was showing the crowd what he was capable of. He had only had about 4 hours total on the course and was cited as saying he didn't believe the course was safe.

 

There may be some politics in it too; let the Americans win at their home track this time (Rossi really didn't need it), encourage spectatorship, advance the game, etc. Rossi is not only the best I've ever seen, he's shrewd and astute.

 

A most impressive rider.

 

Bill

[badmotogoozer]

  The guy's a sandbagger.  Don't take this wrong, but I think he could have won at Laguna Seca.

 

Bill

63922[/snapback]

 

Sandbagger?? no... but he was on cruise control at Laguna Seca. He was whining about the track the day before - hated the "hump". And that is a track he had never been on before. I just think he didn't have his head in the race so he just cruised into third. Faster at the end as he became more comfortable. He knew the Americans were on their home track - young Nicky has raced most of his life on that track. A smart racer knows what an advantage that is.

 

but to call him a sandbagger?? shrewd and smart is what I'd call him. We may never see another racer of his caliber, the "Gretzky" of M/C racing.

 

 

Rj

[stogieBill]

Ryan,

 

How would you explain the fact that at least on a couple of GP's this season, while he's been dicing it with the likes Hayden, Checka, Melandri, et al, he gets toward the end of the race and 'suddenly' pulls away and sets a new lap record on rubber thats got to be inferior compared to the mid point of the race.

 

He's a sandbagger allright. A one-off-probably-never-see-the-likes-of-him-again sandbagger

 

I would love to see him fly at a track he likes, like Phillip Island.

 

Ciao,

 

Boill

[badmotogoozer]

How would you explain the fact that at least on a couple of GP's this season, while he's been dicing it with the likes Hayden, Checka, Melandri, et al, he gets toward the end of the race and 'suddenly' pulls away and sets a new lap record on rubber thats got to be inferior compared to the mid point of the race.

 

63968[/snapback]

 

I'd call that "making a statement". Loud and clear. Just like his violin playing ... I'm just not sure "sandbagger" is what he's trying to say

 

I've missed a lot of the races this year, haven't seen one since he wrapped up the championship. I have seen him having difficulty on a few of the tracks tho'.

 

I would also love to watch him race at Phillip Isle, or anywhere else for that matter as I've only seen him on the tele.

 

 

Rj

[Guzzirider]

I think its plain and simple- Rossi can race better than anyone else and ride around the tyre degradation better than anyone else. The Yamaha also seems to have a bit more top speed than even the Hondas now- you could see that at Philip Island. Hayden rode his heart out but just could not catch him.

 

I hope Melandri and Hayden can push him harder next year to make it a bit more exciting- and maybe even Capirossi may do it at the rate that Ducati have improved at the end of the season.

 

Guy

[Lex]

I think its plain and simple- Rossi can race better than anyone else and ride around the tyre degradation better than anyone else. The Yamaha also seems to have a bit more top speed than even the Hondas now- you could see that at Philip Island. Hayden rode his heart out but just could not catch him.

 

I hope Melandri and Hayden can push him harder next year to make it a bit more exciting- and maybe even Capirossi may do it at the rate that Ducati have improved at the end of the season.

 

Guy 

63973[/snapback]

 

You need to pay more attention the trap speeds at the races. The Yamaha is almost never the fastest bike on the track, the Hondas and Ducatis have the top end. Besides his incredible riding what Rossi (or rather, his crew chief Jeremy Burgess) brought to Yamaha was an old racing truism: Top speed helps you once, maybe twice a lap. Smooth, strong acceleration helps you off every corner. The pre-Rossi M1 was called "a beast" because it was so hard to ride, now it turns well and accelerates very well.

 

When you see a better rider on a Guzzi run off from a superbike the Guzzi guy is doing what Rossi is doing, he is on the gas sooner and on the brakes later, magically making the Guzzi "faster" then a bike that has much more power. Years ago I drove a guy on a ZX-10 Kawasaki nuts this way on my R100GS. Then the road straightened out and this blur when by me... I next saw him after he stopped at a cross road. But, somebody watching on the other part of the road could easily think my 50 HP BMW was as fast or faster than the 120 HP Kawasaki.

 

Back to Nicky, I think last weekend was a little closer then you think. I lost faith in the Kentucky Kid last year, this year I think he is getting pretty close. Nicky set fastest lap and was closing on Rossi at the end of he race, nobody has been able to touch Rossi at the end of a race all year.

 

Next year will tell the final tale, Nicky is (finally) going to have major input in the new (2006) bike. Remember, this year's bike was developed for Max "front end washout" Biaggi. I'm not (quite) dumb enough to bet against Rossi but I do hope Hayden will make him work for championship number eight. Throw in Mallandri (also input in the '06 Honda) and things could be much closer.

 

At least I hope '06 will be closer. OTOH, if Rossi leaves in '07 it will leave a huge void in MotoGP but make for much better racing.

 

It will be fun in any case,

 

Lex

[Guzzirider]

Fair enough- I was just making the point that the Yamaha is a lot faster now in comparison to the Hondas that it was last year- and whether is was Rossi getting on the power earlier or just plain grunt he can live easier now with the Hondas due to the excellent work he, Jeremy Burgess and Yamaha have invested in the bike.

 

With Nicky I fully agree he had a great race but he came second.

 

Guy

[Lex]

Fair enough- I was just making the point that the Yamaha is a lot faster now in comparison to the Hondas that it was last year- and whether is was Rossi getting on the power earlier or just plain grunt he can live easier now with the Hondas due to the excellent work he, Jeremy Burgess and Yamaha have invested in the bike.

 

With Nicky I fully agree he had a great race but he came second.

 

Guy 

64008[/snapback]

 

Guy,

 

Last first: Yup, nothing really matters but Rossi was on the top on the box and Hayden was first loser.

 

I've read several times one of the most important things is a successful team is a strong leader. Stories of Mick Doohan telling the Honda engineers the new, improved for 1997 part is crap, put the 1995 part back on the bike are legend. I think the focus that comes from having a clear, strong leader in Rossi is another part of Yamaha's success. The Honda people seem to be trying to go in four directions at once. Until a strong leader comes up HRC is at a disadvantage, budget the size the GNP of a small country not withstanding.

 

We'll see more on Sunday, will Haden keep inching (25.6 millimeter-ing?) closer? Will Milandri get that tiny improvement he needs? It will be fun to watch.

 

Lex