Post GP race thoughts...

ND4SPD · 07-13-2005, 9:55 AM

So does anyone else think that Rossi purposefully held off and let the Americans take the 1-2 spot since neither of them were any danger to his title?

I'm not questioning the NTAC's talent. I'm sure he worked much harder than any other race in the last 2 years...but I just can't help to think that Rossi sorta let them win.

dB · 07-13-2005, 9:59 AM

I think he backed off a bit after Edwards passed him, but there's no doubt in my mind that he had nothing for Hayden. Next year may be different, but Nicky ruled the race this year.

SJ96F3 · 07-13-2005, 10:02 AM

I think he let Collin finish in front of him. Not sure if he could have caught Nicky... he was pretty much the fastest guy all weekend. It's a good move if he did... America takes more interest in stuff if we're good at it. Having Americans winning should help it gain more popularity over here. Plus, like you said... neither are a threat to his championship and the only real threat had already crashed out.

phobiaphobe · 07-13-2005, 10:04 AM

I did manage to watch it yesterday on my lunch-hour. ROssi definitely didn't look like he was riding 10/10ths.

I could see how Yamaha may have wanted him to give up a place for COlin, but it makes no sense that he would let Nicky beat him. I say Nicky's win is totally legit.

Heavy-Dee · 07-13-2005, 10:04 AM

I think having his thong lodged into his bung hole kept his distracted from the task at hand.

HD

SJ96F3 · 07-13-2005, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

I think having his thong lodged into his bung hole kept his distracted from the task at hand.

HD

I think I just about spit coffee all over my computer screen...

Mojave954 · 07-13-2005, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

I think having his thong lodged into his bung hole kept his distracted from the task at hand.

HD

The fact that you have created an image of Rossi in a thong, disturbs me!

ConqSoft · 07-13-2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojave954

The fact that you have created an image of Rossi in a thong, disturbs me!

Like you weren't already thinking about it.

ccwilli3 · 07-13-2005, 10:14 AM

having been there and watched their body english while circling the track, their tire spinning corner exits, etc... I can honestly say that I think that rossi had nothing for hayden. NOTHING. In fact, the only person that at any point had ANYTHING for hayden ALL WEEKEND was bayliss.

Rossi just flat out wasn't as fast as hayden. When some guys had just begun to barely get into the 1.23s, hayden had been running a string of 23s back to back to back. Not even close, Rossi didn't LET anyone win anything. He was clearly third best on sunday. Colin schooled him on the finer points of the corkscrew and proceeded to check out and attempt to run down hayden. I will say had there been 1 or 2 more laps, colin might have gotten scooped up by rossi, but thats all speculation.

After melandri crashed and burned AGAIN (sucka!), the pressure was off of rossi to only finish in front of max/sete... Which is what he did.

But nothing and no one could touch that 69 repsol bike this weekend...

Mojave954 · 07-13-2005, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConqSoft

Like you weren't already thinking about it.

No, but I was wondering how many of the umbrella girls were out there commando style!

BDA116 · 07-13-2005, 10:16 AM

He absolutely let Colin take second. By the same token, he had absolutley nothing for Hayden. He couldn't get the track fully figured out.

Heavy-Dee · 07-13-2005, 10:36 AM

Being Yamaha's 50th if Rossi could have won it, he damn sure would have.

HD

WetShrub · 07-13-2005, 10:43 AM

You could see mid-race when Rossi was still in second place he tried to make a run at 10/10ths to catch hayden. Then the pit board showed Hayden that Rossi was closing in so he gave it a little more to extend the lead back to about 2 seconds. I agree, he just didn't have it this weekend. Nicky was running 24's most of the race right? I believe he still had some lower lap times in reserve that he could have used if Rossi was able to consistently run in the 23's. He made an attempt at it but Hayden responded and then Rossi was content to finish behind him. Colin? I could see him giving up second to him.

-Shrub

RRWANTR · 07-13-2005, 10:55 AM

You guys watch to much WWF. That would be like asking if Tiger Woods, MJ, etc let their competitors win...BS!

Absolutely not. Rossi never got close to Hayden's times. Maybe you could argue that if he'd ran times close. Hayden had 2 laps in the 22s over .5 seconds faster than Rossi. Hayden also was running many 23s while others were riding only a couple. Seeing Rossi's body language in person, showed he had nothing for Hayden. Rossi had a very tough time through the corkscrew area. On Fri he was terrible through there. Hayden and CE schooled him through the screw. No way did Rossi let CE take 2nd. CE completed a great pass at the top of the screw and then proceeded to pull a good gap trying to reel in Hayden. Only toward the last few laps was Rossi able to start to pull that gap back. If the race would have been a lap or two longer Rossi would have probably gotten around him as CEs SOFT rear had went off and Rossi's medium rear held on longer.

nomad · 07-13-2005, 11:10 AM

I was on the airtrain through the airport when a guy from the USA leans over and says, "Do you think Rossi threw it?" Uhm... how do you answer that honestly without getting beats from the rest of the packed train of people from the USA?

I was there and have not seen the rest of the race, only my vantage point from the corkscrew. I think Nicky was on a flyer and I think he really held back in practice and QP... that's great strategy. However, for Rossi to have jumped on the track, rode it once, and still smoke everyone... I'd say he's the better rider but I don't think he had it to beat Nicky at Laguna. I watched the pass on Edwards through a 300mm zoom lense (see my other thread with a pic of it)... it just looked too mocked up. I think Rossi let him pass; but what do I know? I didn't get a chance to talk to any of the three.

My hypothesis of the Yamaha strategy was, "Either Yamaha bike must win the race. Whoever has the best shot go for it. If Rossi isn't going to win, get CE on the podium for good PR." Rossi is a smart guy and knew that a 3rd was good for everyone... as the announcer kept saying, "This script couldn't have been written better."

RRWANTR · 07-13-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomad

I I watched the pass on Edwards through a 300mm zoom lense (see my other thread with a pic of it)... it just looked too mocked up. I think Rossi let him pass; but what do I know? ."

LET him pass at one of the most difficult parts of the track...uh huh...surrrreeeee..

phobiaphobe · 07-13-2005, 11:20 AM

Did Edwards outbrake him? kinda looked like it.

dB · 07-13-2005, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

Did Edwards outbrake him? kinda looked like it.

Sort of...he pulled a "Chandler", basically a straight-line shortcut across the gator strip.

luvtolean · 07-13-2005, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dB

Sort of...he pulled a "Chandler", basically a straight-line shortcut across the gator strip.

Rossi to himself> "Is ok, you enjoy COlen."

dB · 07-13-2005, 11:28 AM

Here's a question as an answer: Does Rossi let Tamada win in Japan? Bayliss in Australia? He sure as hell doesn't let Gib win in Spain.

dB · 07-13-2005, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvtolean

Rossi to himself> "Is ok, you enjoy COlen."

phobiaphobe · 07-13-2005, 11:55 AM

is aaaaaaaaaa ok..... you aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa enjoy aaaaaaaa colin

nomad · 07-13-2005, 12:55 PM

Got this from a local board...

Quote:

This made me LOL

Got it from the R6 board I'm on who got it from an FZ-1 board...

Quote:

Laguna Cospiracy Theory
The race was fixed. We were in the bleachers outside turn four. A whole bunch of us struck up this conversation about a fix even before the race finished. Here's one possibility...

(Scene: in the Yamaha garage, roughly twenty minutes before the sighting lap for the MotoGP race. Valentino motions Colin over to the corner of the garage just out of everyone's earshot)

VALE: Colin, diss eess a beddy important race for Amedica, yes?

COLIN: ****in-A, man. I sure hope I can clear off from Nicky so I can finish second to you, V.

VALE: Dat eess why I call to you to come. I have Beeeg plan for you. (stretches arms wide) Closer to me. Nobody to hear, OK?

COLIN: (Leans in) What's up?

VALE: I have beddy beeg points from Marco. Maybe sixty-one ahead. I wish to go cool and give you de race if you can catch Nicky. He eess beddy fast. You catch, you pass, you win, OK?

COLIN: (Shouts) **** Fire! You'd do that for me? (slaps thigh)

VALE: Hey! Beddy quiet for plan is good, OK?

COLIN: (whispers) Riiiight, sorry.

VALE: You go catch Nicky. Have good time. MotoGP get big in Amedica from you. You get famous and rich and buy Texas, Yes?

COLIN: (shouts again) ****in-A! Let's go! (Gives Valentino a forearm to the shoulder. Valentino trips over a pile of shop rags and farts as he gets up. Colin laughs so hard he shoots a booger out his left nostril.)

VALE: De pasta primavera, eet always make me do dis!

COLIN: (Yells) Hey, everybody! Valentino just **** his leathers!

During the race, Nicky motors away like he's shot from a cannon. Valentino rides at seven-tenths, and waits for habitual bad starter Colin to catch up. Colin sails past at eleven-tenths as Valentino mulls over what to have for dinner and which one of his umbrella girls will get a pearl necklace before bedtime. Valentino falls 3.5 seconds back as Colin tries to crawl under the paint in an effort to catch Nicky, who is doing an admirable job of lighting the afterburners every time the gap shrinks to under two seconds.

With two laps to go, Valentino gets startled awake by an air horn as he crests the ridge leading up to the Corkscrew. As he shakes the cobwebs out and yawns, he sees Colin ahead, too far from Nicky to make a run of any significance.

VALE: (Thinking) Colin, Colin, Colin, you are a beeg Amedican ****-up. Now I have to go and make up for your, uh, how do you say....uh, imcompetence. Mister Yamaha ees at de track! How do you let thees happen?

The race results are as posted. Valentino, realizing an American one-two would be good press fodder, closes on Colin just enough to let him know who the alpha rider still is. Colin arrives at the podium so drenched with sweat he looks pressurized. Valentino, however, looks like he just got done watching a movie in his motorhome.

After the hoopla of post-race interviews dies down and the crowd disperses, the two teammates cross paths as the MotoGP circus folds up the tents.

COLIN: Hey, man, I want to thank you for that chance. Man, that little **** Nicky is faster than I thought. I tried, man. About next year, do you think--

VALE: Don't talk to me.