Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

deez · 07-24-2003, 12:12 PM

Free practice starts in the morning, will put all pre and post race here.

deez · 07-24-2003, 12:14 PM

Pre race quotes:

Rossi is under no illusions about the difficulties facing him in retaining his MotoGP title for the second year and holding it for a third successive year. 'I said all along that this season would be a battle,' he said. 'We arrive at the beginning of the year in good shape and now the competition is harder and the battle is even better. We have a great team working very hard so we can stay ahead in the Championship. The Sachsenring has never been my favourite track but it's important to do well here and go into the season break in a good position.'

Rookie Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) is ready to ride at another unknown track but his confidence is growing. 'I'm really enjoying things right now,' said the American. 'I'd like to be a bit higher in the Championship but I'm confident on the bike and know I have the potential of finishing with the top guys. We tested at Brno, which was good, and now things are going in the right direction. I've still got the Suzuka 8-hour race to come and then I'll be riding at some of the tracks I've been to before for the last few races of the season which will be good.'

Biaggi accepted his lucky break at Donington, having experienced the same thing going against him when he was penalised at Barcelona in 1998. 'It's a verdict and it has to be accepted by everyone. Now I'm thinking of the Sachsenring and how to strengthen my title challenge as the season goes on. We are making progress and we have to keep the pressure on.'

Sete Gibernau is confident after testing in the Czech Republic. 'The Brno test was good for us,' he said. 'It gave us time to try many things on the general set up of the machine in dry conditions. We are getting closer to the optimum baseline settings we need to work from. At Brno I felt really comfortable on the bike, and got good feedback for the mechanics, that shows in the lap times. Sachsenring is a difficult track, hard work on a four-stroke, and it's hard to make a pass there.'

Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) is looking to have a better second half of the season and will be using this weekend as a springboard for better things. 'It's a bit of a Mickey Mouse track, but none of that matters,' said the Japanese. 'I was a bit broken up for the race last year after my big Donington crash and I only got third place because Jacque and Barros crashed. But I'm ready for this and want to change the shape of my season.'

CBRGuy · 07-25-2003, 12:18 PM

I think this will be a very close race. If it rains......it will be even closer.

deez · 07-25-2003, 2:22 PM

Qualifying practice #1, everything taken from Motogp.com

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...235/235397.jpg

'Valentino Rossi shrugged off his first crash of the entire season in the first free practice session for the Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland this morning to set the fastest time in the afternoon and clinch provisional pole position for Sunday's race. With partly cloudy but dry conditions replacing the heavy rain and thunderstorms from yesterday, the Italian left it until the very last lap to dislodge compatriot Max Biaggi from the top of the time sheets with a time of 1'24.335. Biaggi had dominated for the first half of the session before factory colleagues Rossi and Sete Gibernau and Yamaha duo Shinya Nakano and Carlos Checa briefly took turns at the top of the time sheets. With just minutes remaining Jeremy McWilliams looked the man most like to oust Biaggi, lapping within 0.042 seconds of pole on the two-stroke KR3 machine, but it was Rossi once again with a typically late surge who grabbed the headlines.'

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 2:30 PM

Jeez, look at the speed difference between the 211 and Proton! McWilliams must be taking some huge chances on that thing.

Crash · 07-25-2003, 4:39 PM

Let's hope that Colin's bike dosen't fryhis nuts again!!!!

You hear about that? the Cube blew a fuel cap and caught fire as he entered a 160 mph corner

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 4:42 PM

How the hell did it light up?

Crash · 07-25-2003, 5:01 PM

Quote:

luvtolean : How the hell did it light up?

First story
Colin's BBQ

Video On MotoGP.com but since I don't have a paid membership can't watch it

deez · 07-25-2003, 5:07 PM

That thing is a piece of , nothing but problems.

CyBeR929 · 07-26-2003, 12:44 AM

Hooooooly CRAP!!! *A guy on Colin's forum put together the frames from the video in one large pic (attached)...it's freakin crazy. *That bike has proved to be a big POS and I'd be nervous throwing my leg over anything that was maintained by people who can't figure out how a freakin fuel cap works. *Poor Colin....he's definatly not getting paid enough...look at his leathers in the last frames!!! *

Pop quiz hotshot, your on a 160mph straightaway and the fuel filler cap falls off engulfing you and the bike in flames...what do you do? *What doooo you do?

Edit: Image too large...here's the hurl:

Colins Forum

Crash · 07-26-2003, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the link man......

Dayummmmmmm he's one lucky guy.....

Baketech · 07-26-2003, 1:47 PM

Is this the 2nd or 3rd time he had a bad crash due to a mechanical?

Gettin crazy...

deez · 07-26-2003, 4:17 PM

Final Qualifying....

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...236/236012.jpg

My friend Tom told me that Biaggi is on a full factory bike now. I guess that means that he finally has = machinery as Rossi and Hayden.

CyBeR929 · 07-26-2003, 9:43 PM

More images on Colin's site....I'll say it again HOLY CRAP!!! I would have told them to take the bike and phuckoff...there's no way I'd ride again that day, much less a couple hours later....guess that's why he gets the big bucks:

Goodness Gracious Great Colin's on Fire

ratter · 07-27-2003, 8:04 AM

what can ya say?

luvtolean · 07-27-2003, 12:54 PM

CE's deal was really bad luck. I have had fuel slosh out of my cap at the track on the brakes before, and when we were at Fontana for the AMA races, the guy I was helping had fuel slosh out on him too.

What's weird, is that the bike actually caught fire and went up so dramatically!

deez · 07-27-2003, 3:45 PM

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...236/236865.jpg

The end of the race was awesome. Gibernau has more wins this year than Rossi, crazy. One of the Ducatis burned up this morning so Edwards wasn't alone. Haga, he actually pitched the bike again? And oh yeah, the Gayden lovers should be rejoicing today

TCD · 07-27-2003, 3:58 PM

that was an awsome race! *it was great to see hayden in fourth. *i would like to see the pass by capirossi on the final lap. *this is one of the best seasons (tightest) i have seen. *

edit: spelling

Baketech · 07-27-2003, 4:13 PM

Just watched the replay....great race

Baketech · 07-28-2003, 7:39 AM

Honda Quotes:

Quote Sete Gibernau
Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 1st
“I had to fight through traffic at the start but got into third before the end of lap one. Then I concentrated on picking up the pace and trying to catch Valentino. The last lap was unbelievable, because in some places on the track I had a tenth of a second on Valentino - in some places he had the same advantage over me. I had no race plan or strategy before the race because sometimes your strategy doesn't work and when it doesn't you can find yourself in trouble. The last corner was incredible. Valentino ran a tight line into the last corner so I had to use a dirt track manoeuvre off the corner, square off the turn and run up the inside of him. I learned to do that at the Kenny Roberts ranch. Valentino ran wide and I gassed it up the inside. I wheelied off the corner, Valentino also, but I got to the line first. I just want to thank Telefonica Honda and Team Gresini for all they have done for me this season. I have always believed in myself, even when things were going badly for me, and I have always had people around me who believed in me, I thank them all for their support.

Valentino Rossi
Repsol Honda Team: 2nd
“A little disappointed with the final result. I tried to go at the beginning of the race, but it was impossible. Sete come with me and we do maybe 10 laps together very close. It was a race in the last lap when I plan my attack. I made a good overtake. After I don't understand why I need to go inside to close the line. I thought Sete might go inside. That was my mistake. I went to close the line and touched the brake and loose the momentum; I needed to wait longer to open the throttle. Sometimes this year I have been unlucky with the weather or the rules. Today I just made a mistake.”

Nicky Hayden
Repsol Honda Team: 5th
“That was fun. I really needed that race and I took fifth. It was fourth at one point but on the last lap and on the last couple of corners I rode a little too conservative and Capirossi just snuck by. But it was still a really fun race. Definitely the best I've had all year and really something to build on. This morning, the warm up was good. I felt pretty comfortable running with Valentino and Max. Anytime I get behind these guys at these new circuits I pick up so much; it's a big help. Hats off to my guys. They've worked really hard for me all year and I'm really happy to give them a good result. I'm also really happy for myself. I've had a few races that weren't so much fun this year and it's nice to get out there and just charge the whole way!”

Max Biaggi
Camel Pramac Pons: dnf
”The start was not great for me. I found myself down in tenth place and I had to push to try and recover because I was in a lot of traffic. And that Proton was fast in the slower parts of the track and hard to get past. When I had a clear track I could make up time but then I lost the front at turn 10 where I hadn't really felt comfortable all race. It's sad what happened but I can't do the race again so I'll just look forward to Brno.”

Tohru Ukawa
Camel Pramac Pons: 6th
“The start was not too bad for me and the race was run at a pretty high pace right from the beginning. It was hard to follow the leading group because my bike was spinning up the rear tire a little bit. In the end that was because we ran out of time perfecting the set-up. Sixth is better than crashing and we'll keep going step-by-step until we get the results we're looking for. I'm off to Japan now for the Suzuka 8-hour race, and then I'll relax until Brno.”

Almost 3 weeks to Brno....

Anyone know if there will be any coverage of the Suzuka 8Hr?