[CyBeR929]

Day one times:

1. Edwards (Honda) 1m31.07
2. Gibernau (Honda) 1m31.37
3. Rossi (Yamaha) 1m31.40
4. Biaggi (Honda) 1m31.40
5. Hayden (Honda) 1m31.50
6. Barros (Honda) 1m31.75
7. Tamada (Honda) 1m31.85
8. Xaus (Ducati) 1m32.11
9. Capirossi (Ducati) 1m32.16
10. Bayliss (Ducati) 1m32.45
11. Checa (Yamaha) 1m32.58
12. Melandri (Yamaha) 1m32.58.
13. Hodgson (Ducati) 1m33.18
14. Byrne (Aprilia) 1m33.22
15. McWilliams (Aprilia) 1m33.66
16. Abe (Yamaha) 1m34.40

I'm suprised to see Rossi this close to the front, this fast.

Xaus in 8th!!!

[Pete]

A little more about it here...

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040217/230/em79z.html

[fl-929]

Spiderman is moving up

[ccwilli3]

Originally Posted by fl-929

Spiderman is moving up

In front of the "new" ducs to boot! and on Baylisstic's home track too! There has to be some words in the duc camp... Then again, it is still just testing...

[deez]

Originally Posted by CyBeR929

Day one times:

I'm suprised to see Rossi this close to the front, this fast.

Not me, he is the baddest mofo out there, he'll beat you on your bike

[CyBeR929]

The logic I've heard on the Ducs seems to make sense. The '03 has a baseline with this track where the '04 does not. I guess the '04 Ducs came to PI with the same settings they left Sepang with. I would expect things to be set right tomorrow. I'm still suprised he outpaced Hodgsen

I'll be curious to see what happens to Rossi's time tomorrow. I expect the Honda's to shave another second or so off the best times today, so it will be interesting to see if Yamaha can do the same. Has Rossi already maxed the potential of the Yamaha at this track? Or can he keep pace with the Honda's tomorrow?

[WetShrub]

Originally Posted by CyBeR929

The logic I've heard on the Ducs seems to make sense. The '03 has a baseline with this track where the '04 does not. I guess the '04 Ducs came to PI with the same settings they left Sepang with. I would expect things to be set right tomorrow. I'm still suprised he outpaced Hodgsen

I'll be curious to see what happens to Rossi's time tomorrow. I expect the Honda's to shave another second or so off the best times today, so it will be interesting to see if Yamaha can do the same. Has Rossi already maxed the potential of the Yamaha at this track? Or can he keep pace with the Honda's tomorrow?

Xaus and Hodgsen might still be getting used to the bike though too.

[QuikMike]

Originally Posted by CyBeR929

The logic I've heard on the Ducs seems to make sense. The '03 has a baseline with this track where the '04 does not. I guess the '04 Ducs came to PI with the same settings they left Sepang with. I would expect things to be set right tomorrow. I'm still suprised he outpaced Hodgsen

I'll be curious to see what happens to Rossi's time tomorrow. I expect the Honda's to shave another second or so off the best times today, so it will be interesting to see if Yamaha can do the same. Has Rossi already maxed the potential of the Yamaha at this track? Or can he keep pace with the Honda's tomorrow?

Good point...although, Rossi has shown the amazing ability to up the pace ever so slightly as evidenced by his performances from last year...I'm interested also to see if the Yamaha can squeeze out more juice to keep up with the Hondas....I fully expect the times to fall into the 1.30s and maybe the 1.29s by the third day....

[ratter]

Is testing for 2 or 3 days I might have to take a day off work and go for a spy

[luvtolean]

Rossi and Biatchi get the same times...and Biatchi gets put behind Rossi.

[CyBeR929]

Originally Posted by ratter

Is testing for 2 or 3 days I might have to take a day off work and go for a spy

Through Thursday I believe....3 days

[The Sook]

I'll be down there tomorrow. Colin is getting me and my mate in to watch. Can't wait. Colin is gonna really shock alot of people this year. Barros still isn't counting Colin in the mix of things come season end, but that'll change. Just wait and see. Yee haa.

[ratter]

Originally Posted by The Sook

I'll be down there tomorrow. Colin is getting me and my mate in to watch. Can't wait. Colin is gonna really shock alot of people this year. Barros still isn't counting Colin in the mix of things come season end, but that'll change. Just wait and see. Yee haa.

well done
I'm thinking about going down there, and see if I can put my new camera through it's paces, but I'll be on the outside of the fence, but you can get reasonbly close to the track from outside siberia.

[CyBeR929]

Day 2:

Loris Capirossi (Ducati): 1’30.71 (65 laps)
Valentino Rossi (Yamaha): 1’30.75 (70 laps)
Sete Gibernau (Honda) : 1’30.81 (60 laps)
Colin Edwards (Honda): 1’30.97 (58 laps)
Max Biaggi (Honda): 1’31.07 (86 laps)
Nicky Hayden (Honda): 1’31.18 (88 laps)
Makoto Tamada (Honda): 1’31.25 (54 laps)
Troy Bayliss (Ducati): 1’31.56 (63 laps)
Alex Barros (Honda): 1’31.59 (88 laps)
Ruben Xaus (Ducati): 1’31.64 (48 laps)
Neil Hodgson (Ducati): 1’31.77 (69 laps)
Marco Melandri (Yamaha): 1’31.70 (84 laps)
Carlos Checa (Yamaha): 1’31.80 (70 laps)
Norick Abe (Yamaha): 1’33.74 (54 laps)

Looks like Caparossi got the bugs worked out of the '04 Duc, Xaus crashed, and Valentino found some time. Xaus's crash was pretty serious initially I guess....airlifted to the hospital, but no major injuries. It happened at Siberia corner....Ratter??? Did you have your new camera there?

[Crash]

Xaus!!! Did it.... he's already chucked bike #1 down the track and spent the night in the hospital.....

We need to start a pool with this guy, I like him, but man he costs money

[CyBeR929]

With Hopper's one race suspension last year for "wreckless riding", I wonder how many races Xaus will actually compete in this year (assuming, and this is a huge assumption, that the rules will be applied equally to all riders of all nationalities)? I like Xaus, and he's incredibly talented, but I wonder how long before his riding style gets himself or someone else seriously hurt.

[deez]

Look at Rossi's time, damn Anyone that thought he won't be competitive this year because he is on the Yamaha is severly mistaken. On the pace already.

Capirossi's time shows the Duc is improving, finally we'll have 3 MFR's that can be competitive at the front.

[nedro]

Originally Posted by booth23

Capirossi's time shows the Duc is improving, finally we'll have 3 MFR's that can be competitive at the front.

2 MFR's and God.

[phozed]

from motogp.com:

18/02/04
Xaus stays overnight in hospital as circuit investigates crash


The latest news on Ruben Xaus after his nasty high-speed crash at the Phillip Island circuit this afternoon is that he is fully conscious with no serious injuries and resting overnight at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Xaus was airlifted to hospital after the crash, which took place at around 12:10pm and had the track closed for over an hour by marshals as they looked into the causes. Questions are still going on as to what actually happened, but motogp.com caught up with the circuit director Fergus Cameron, who gave the official account of the incident.

“Reports from the marshals at that site are that as Xaus came out of the Siberia section of the circuit he lost control of his machine before the right-hand kink and continued head on towards the barriers. There is 250 metres of run-off here with gravel, and the marshals say that he was still in contact with the bike when he hit the tyre wall.
” When asked about the causes of the accident, which took place on a part of the circuit where riders are approaching the dog-leg flat out in fourth gear at around 190km/h, Cameron continued, “We later took some senior riders out to the spot where the accident happened to see what they thought of the crash site. We had noticed a lot of dirt had been displaced, and there was some evidence that one or two riders were maybe taking a line well outside the white line. We weren’t sure however whether it was a general line or whether just one or two riders had made the mark.”

After consultation with the riders, which included Max Biaggi, Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden, Cameron concluded, “The riders said that they were all going inside the white line, but they said that maybe it was possible that Xaus was taking an erratic line in that corner.”

When asked, American youngster Nicky Hayden remarked, “I guess he just ran off the track before he crashed. The circuit directors took us out there to look at the spot. They were wanting to fill the dirt in there, because they thought that someone had cut off the track corner more than once or twice. I don’t think so at all though, I don’t think you could hit that spot too many times without big problems so… I think it’s a simple mistake.”

On Xaus’ condition, Cameron stated, “Ruben is currently resting at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where it was recommended that he stay in overnight for observation after a precautionary CAT scan. It appears that everything is okay though, and obviously everybody is pleased to see that.” Team members of Ducati D’Antin confirmed Xaus’ condition, and said that he hopes to return to the circuit tomorrow, although not to ride, after bruising his neck and back region quite badly.

[phozed]

more:
Ruben Xaus:“I was trying a rear tyre which I didn’t like too much, and I strayed onto the white line. On other tracks I could probably have avoided the crash, but there’s more grass here on the run-offs and so you shoot off. I tried to brake, but I couldn’t avoid crashing into the tyre wall, and although the bike is basically okay, I took a big hit. My right shoulder hurts a lot, but I’m fine in general, although a little bemused because I was going well up to that point. Lap times were coming easily and this means I have to end the testing session and stay inactive for the next few days.”

Neil Hodgson: ”It was a real shame that Ruben crashed. It really gave us all a bit of a fright at first, but thankfully he’s okay. I took full advantage of the good conditions today. We are making non-stop progress really, and the lap times are beginning to come, so I hope that during tomorrow we can complete all the work we had scheduled before coming here.”

Loris Capirossi: “That was really good. The changes we made to the set-up confirmed that the bike has great potential.
I lapped most of the day with the familiar 17” front tyre to verify the new set-up of the GP4 and it was only towards the end of the session that I used the 16.5” front. Tomorrow I’ll concentrate exclusively on this new tyre.”

Troy Bayliss: “I’m pleased with the progress we made today. I’m still missing a bit of feeling with the front, but we’re gradually getting there. We’re working on it and we know exactly where to intervene to improve the bike.”

[Crash]

Originally Posted by phozed

more:
Ruben Xaus:“I was trying a rear tyre which I didn’t like too much, and I strayed onto the white line. On other tracks I could probably have avoided the crash, but there’s more grass here on the run-offs and so you shoot off. I tried to brake, but I couldn’t avoid crashing into the tyre wall, and although the bike is basically okay, I took a big hit. My right shoulder hurts a lot, but I’m fine in general, although a little bemused because I was going well up to that point. Lap times were coming easily and this means I have to end the testing session and stay inactive for the next few days.”

Ruben Xaus:“I was trying a rear tyre which I didn’t like too much, and I strayed onto blah blah blah..... I'm too tall and gangly to ride in a controlled manner. I intend to crash many more motorbikes, as I feel it is the only way to continuously test my saftey equipment. "

[CBRGuy]

They way he is riding, Rossi's going to have to switch to Proton to give himself a challenge next year.

[ccwilli3]

Originally Posted by CBRGuy

They way he is riding, Rossi's going to have to switch to Proton to give himself a challenge next year.

No kidding! That or the kwak!

As nedro said, 2 MFRs and god himself...

[Newfie TLR]

I think Rossi is from the Planet Foggy, but a better rider. He, in my opinion, could maybe ride any of those bikes and still do awesome. I think he just has that no-fear young-dumb-and-fulla-come (just don't look right with that spelling, does it??) I'm holier-than-thou attitude and when that's combined with his riding skills, man, he's unbeatable.

[tigerblade]

The best anecdote is about when they monitored Rossi's heart rate and it barely moved.

Icewater in those veins, baby.

[Newfie TLR]

Originally Posted by tigerblade

The best anecdote is about when they monitored Rossi's heart rate and it barely moved.

Icewater in those veins, baby.

LMAO, wherever I'm on the track (and that's nowhere near the conditions these guys are under) my heart feels like a freekin' snare drum.

[Crash]

Originally Posted by tigerblade