Sex Crazed SaltShaker of DeathHas there been any word on how Toprak Razgotlioglu did in testing today? #motogp
I saw he was 1.7 seconds slower than Pedrosa (fastest at test) and .7 slower than Crutchlow on the Yamaha. Very respectable.
Ben@dsmdexter I just wonder if Yam has put the cart before the horse and offered him Franky's ride when it seems like they're only just now giving Franky what he needs. Course, Franky can make them pay for that (as Lorenzo did Ducati) by having a strong rest of the season but, yeah.
@VersionBen6999
I would be surprised if Toprak would agree to anything at this point. The drawbacks to the Yamaha are apparent, and while there may not be a lot of contracts expiring this year, there has been an epidemic of injurieswhich could lead to a seat available that isn't known yet.
I would be surprised if Toprak would agree to anything at this point. The drawbacks to the Yamaha are apparent, and while there may not be a lot of contracts expiring this year, there has been an epidemic of injurieswhich could lead to a seat available that isn't known yet.
Nick 'The Viking'Yeah, this is not the time to be jumping on a Yamaha, nor the Honda.
I suspect we're going to have a brutal year for injuries. I'd be surprised if we see a full grid of contracted riders again this year.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter As someone who enjoys Marc's talent, I'm curious if Honda can fix their shit while he's still under contract. Because I think if they don't that Red Bull will facilitate a move to KTM, especially given that his current manager has ties there.
Unpopular opinion....
Marc will bonk his head hard enough this year he'll be done.
He can't control himself to just *ride* in the race and develop the bike. They can't develop now, as he's hurt.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter I don't necessarily agree? I think the bike is such shit (as evidenced by him missing so many races last year and STILL being the top Honda rider) that he's having to use his physical abilities to try and push it to (and past) it's limit, to just be able to compete, let alone win or fight for the championship.
He's readily admitted he's an asshole on the bike, but I don't think you can win championships and not be. Maybe Nicky excluded, but he only had 1.
I agree with that, the bike is bad and has been for a while, and yes he's had to over-ride it to do well.
He's a hard rider but his willingness to crash and gather up other riders into collateral damage, I'm not fond of that. He's entertaining to watch, totally opposite of watching Lorenzo, which bored me to tears.
He's spent the last couple years pretty much broken, so development has been poor, everybody else has been racing and getting faster while he's been rusting on the couch.
I've been watching moto racing for a long time and I've seen these career arcs many times.
I'm jaded for sure.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter See, I'm a more recent fan (2014) and my introduction to MotoGP was a clip of JL99 with Anna Vives. And damn him if he didn't drag me right in. I related to his personality. Still do, really. Started rooting for Nicky shortly thereafter. But as I'm prone to do (gogo Autism) made myself a student of the sport. Watched many old races.
Perhaps I'm not willing to watch another rider I'm rooting for hang 'em up yet. Either way, we'll see how it all plays out!
I'm not sure exactly when I got into MotoGP, I remember stumbling across a race and the first thing I saw was Gibernau hazing the back tire from just past the apex til he had it up straight. Probably '09.
Lorenzo was very fast, but so smooth he looked slow.
It's good you studied and watched old races, it's perspective.
I don't want MM to retire, but I don't want him to need a guide dog either.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter
Which as why, as much as I hated it from a "I want him to race forever" standpoint, I was glad JL retired when he did. He seemed legit scared of the bike after that back-breaker.
Equally, I can remember being ANGRY at Marc for trying to come back from that humerus injury after less than a week. Really, more so at the Doctors who encouraged it, because WTF? It's not like these guys get pensions. I'm glad he has a more cautious medical team now.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter and apologies, it's a bit after midnight here, and if I stop responding, it's because I finally convinced my body to fall asleep!
Fair warning
I'm very *not* fond of Alberto.
I savor every moment of Simon asking Alberto questions, I can hear Alberto squirming and his brain gears grinding trying to answer while revealing nothing and tooting everyone's horn that could possibly help them.
It makes me lol and it's probably wrong but it's my guilty pleasure.
I'm likely more opinionated and less well informed than David, and I'm an older git than him so beware. I don't want to squelch your enthusiasm.
No worries on the timezone, there's no schedule.
/fin
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter Since I can't sleep...
I have ZERO use for Alberto. Starting for his part in the Dani/Jorge fued. Then finding out how he pushed for Nicky to exit Honda. The way he's treated Dani in recent years. The way he/they were badgering/throwing Jorge under the bus after he got injured (and really, even before that).
Someone approved him to race + MotoGP medical declared him fit. Therein lies the issue. They'd have approved him to race with diplopia if Alex hadn't stopped it.
I'm OK with all the team principals save him. Some are more or equal revealing/personable/clear as he, but none are less and all make better decisions and project a more authentic persona.
MM is one of the hardest core racers and if he thinks he can race and it doesn't hurt enough to make him scream he will do it. This is way way advantageous to have such a fierce competitor on the payroll. It does *require* a strong handler/support team to keep him from making bad decisions. That didn't happen.
Motivation for MotoGP Medical to call a rider unfit is very small, and IMO they're in an impossible situation. Cannot be relied upon to protect riders.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter MM wise, it seems like he has a better team around him now. In that documentary he readily admitted that as soon as the Docs told him "go" that he very much would be. So I'm presuming his Madrid-based team is more cautious than the Barcelona-based Docs (Dr. Mir et al), or that he's perhaps learned SOMETHING from that whole humerus ordeal.
Medical wise, totally correct. Way too many riders who admit to concussions who were or are declared fit to race.
Honestly I thought the docs got steamrolled and/or paid off. No orthopod is going to put a plate on a completely broken humerus and willingly tell the patient it's 100% good to go. Counting on a plate to do anything more than hold bones in position to heal is insane.
For such a load-bearing situation they have rods and spikes and specific devices like a hip joint assembly.
You can put a couple layers of duct tape on the bottom of your bare foot and it's protected a little but it's not a shoe.
IMO the 'fit to race' is little more than a rubber stamp. I'm not wholesale denigrating the MotoGP med team, they do a tremendously hard job very well. But they get told who to approve.
@nlarson830 @dsmdexter Truth, though I had *thought* they'd put more stringent medical policies in place to prevent Jorge's Assen Superman situation in 13 from ever happening again (especially considering he bent HIS plate at the very next race!).
I've had shoulder surgery, but it was arthroscopic, and basically breaking my collarbone and trimming it down so it stopped grinding against...whatever it was grinding against.
It's a sticky situation for sure!
I'm toast, more later on down the road!