The Never-Ending Bikes

A MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 Blog.

[xx-gloq-xx-blog]

I wonder which rider in MotoGP has the most metal in his body...

Anyone have an answer to this???

[theneverendingbikes]

Most probably Dani Pedrosa, there are a list of his injuries on his Wikipedia page I believe.

[dcembrr]

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MotoGP Mugello 2013.

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MotoGP Mugello 2013 Review: "If..."

If only he could set better qualifying times. If only he got a good start. If only the gears engaged correctly. If only...

Whether you are a Valentino Rossi fan or not, Mugello could have been the most beautiful weekend in motorsport. He had the pace to win, if only he had the chance. Nobody could argue that tears would have been shed, the party would still be going now, until the lights go out in Barcelona next weekend. 'Heartbreak' cannot ever begin to describe what we felt watching him bounce across the gravel, the dream in tatters. I must pay tribute to the Italian fans, they were incredible, hearing them chant for Valentino during the podium was beautiful, letting everybody know that he is loved no matter what. One day, he will return to the top step, one day soon we can promise you, and that day will be incredible.

MotoGP: Racing incidents aside, Jorge Lorenzo had a stunning weekend, sure he missed out on pole position to Dani Pedrosa and Dani came very close to him early in the race, but Jorge was faultless. Dani himself had a very good pace but was definitely fading in the last laps and was in danger of being caught by Cal Crutchlow, but the danger receded when Marc Marquez crashed with three laps to go. Marquez was bitten a few times by the Repsol Honda this weekend, but somehow escaped serious injury and came back stronger, only to leave Italy with his first DNF in MotoGP.

Moto2: Scott Redding has certainly thrown down a gauntlet this year, he has become stronger with each race and now he has tasted victory, he is reluctant to let it go, storming to his second ever win in Moto2. Pol Espargaro nearly had another disaster this weekend, but rapidly made up positions and rescued a solid fourth place at the flag. Nico Terol is also improving rapidly, he looked to contend for the victory for the majority of the race but decided to wave Redding through to the lead, and then watched him disappear. Nico's second place finish this weekend has promoted him to second in the championship table. Johann Zarco scored his first ever podium in Moto2 this weekend, building on his strong performance in Le Mans.

Moto3: Luis Salom had a very clever race, a complete change from his racing character last year. He stuck with the leaders, then pounced when he knew he had the pace to pull away. The fight for the lead was intense for the whole race, any of the riders in the leading group could have claimed victory, it was a very entertaining race. Alex Rins and Maverick Vinales joined Salom on the podium in second a third places respectively, with Vinales retaining his championship lead.

[fuckyesmotogp]

[theneverendingbikes]

MotoGP Le Mans 2013.

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MotoGP Le Mans 2013 Review: C-C-C-Combo Breaker!

There are always races that throw up surprise results, especially in mixed weather conditions, and Le Mans is the perfect track for this.

MotoGP: Ducati continued their trend of running well at this circuit, as Andrea Dovisiozo was fighting to lead the race for many laps, before being robbed of a podium finish by Cal Crutchlow and Marc Marquez. Crutchlow's podium hardly counts as a surprise result, as he has been threatening the leaders all season, but finishing the race as the lead Yamaha was most definitely unusual. Marquez decided not to buck the trend and put in yet another astonishing performance to fight to third position, having never raced a MotoGP bike in the rain. The biggest surprise of all came from defending Champion Jorge Lorenzo, he faded from podium contention to seventh position. That result marks the first time since Indianapolis 2011 (where he finished fourth) that Lorenzo has finished a race outside the top three. Valentino Rossi nearly managed to beat Lorenzo for the first time this season, but threw away his strong position as it looked like he had the pace in grab another podium finish, he eventually finished in twelfth. Nicky Hayden put in a very strong performance for Ducati, finishing fifth. It was easy to forget the winner in this dramatic race, the only rider to keep a cool head and a steady pace to pull away and win comfortably after fighting with Dovizioso. That rider, of course, was Dani Pedrosa, this victory has also put Pedrosa in the lead of the Championship as he is the first repeat winner of this year.

Moto2: The Moto2 riders had to conquer nightmare conditions to finish this race, as the start was declared dry but it soon began to rain and eventually the race was red flagged, with at least two third distance completed. Scott Redding took his maiden victory in class, as his main rivals crashed around him. There were many riders running a fast pace in the opening laps, but soon many of them fell, including Pol Espargaro,  Esteve Rabat, Nico Terol and eventually also Takaaki Nakagami who had built himself a comfortable lead at the time. Most of the crashers fell at Musee corner as the light rain made this part of the circuit 'greasy'. Redding has extended his Championship lead to twenty-four points, a very healthy lead, especially this early in the season.

Moto3: This was the only dry race of the day, and was conquered by Maverick Vinales, also the first repeat winner of this season in his class. Alex Rins and Luis Salom were just over a second behind. Jonas Folger jostled for the lead with Vinales in the early laps but faded to finish in fourth position.

As the season has completed it's fourth round we are now seeing who has firmly established themselves as Championship contenders, as who is left chasing, hoping to upset the leaders when given the chance. We look forward to Mugello!

[theneverendingbikes]

MotoGP Jerez 2013 Review: Frustration and Elation

While there are always winners in racers, of course there are losers too. Although you don't have to finish first the race to win, staying on your bike is a victory, scoring points is a victory, beating your team mate(s) is a victory. Those that lose these battles are always left feeling frustrated, be it a harsh pass or just a lack of speed to keep pace with those in front.

MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo scored an early victory on Saturday on his 26th birthday with his second pole position of the season, but it was Dani Pedrosa who felt elation at the end of the twenty-seven laps on Sunday afternoon. Pedrosa ran a very smart race, conserving his energy behind Lorenzo until he was ready to pass him and build a comfortable gap to take his first victory of the season. Some said around the paddock that this was a must win race for Pedrosa, as he had lost out to his team mate Marc Marquez in the two previous races, he stepped up and took a beautiful win in front of his home fans and appears to have regained his form from last year. Marquez took second position in quite entertaining fashion, with a maneuver on Lorenzo which has garnered quite a lot of attention for being apparently over aggressive. The pass was deemed safe by race direction and both riders finished the race unscathed. Valentino Rossi finished the race in a quite average fourth position, which is of course not bad but he had been aiming for the podium. Cal Crutchlow was also hoping for a podium finish, but like Rossi did not have the pace to stay with the Spaniards, he finished in fifth. It was a great day for the the Spaniards at their home race in Jerez, the atmosphere appeared electric even through the television screen as the event attracted huge crowds. The Championship is now lead by Marc Marquez and the circus has now arrived in Europe, so there is plenty to look forward to!

Moto2: Esteve Rabat dominated this weekend, his first pole position and his first victory, nobody could get close. This domination had a very obvious effect on his team mate and Championship favourite Pol Espagaro, who clearly struggled for pace over the weekend and was very frustrated. Whilst Rabat lead the race comfortably, Espagaro ran in fourth position for most of the race, chasing Takaaki Nakagami, whom he eventually passed to finish in third after being held up whilst attempting to pass a back-marker (Rafid Topan Sucipto). Fellow Championship favourite Scott Redding finished in second place, gaining valuable points, but lost the Championship lead to Rabat by a single point.

Moto3: This race was the second in succession to be red flagged, however unlike the race in Texas there was no restart as enough laps had been completed to declare the race valid. Maverick Vinales took the victory from Luis Salom and Jonas Folger. Vinales' victory was his first since Mugello last year, surprising considering he is always a favourite for the win. Salom was unhappy with the result as he thought he had the pace to pass Vinales in the last laps, but never got the chance due to Alan Techer's crash which led to the race being stopped. Many other riders also crashed in the race, including Alex Marquez and Alex Rins but all riders have been declared OK.

We look forward to Le Mans!

[fuckyesmotogp]

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It was a beautiful race ... It was fantastic, especially seeing all the fans in the stands; this year we've had a lot of people come to watch this Grand Prix. I also want to say, ‘Happy Mothers' Day!’ to my mum and thanks to all my team - it's been a great day!

Dani Pedrosa on winning the Jerez MotoGP. From MotoGP.com

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MotoGP COTA (Austin) 2013 Review: A Day of Firsts

First race at the Circuit of the Americas. First MotoGP win for Marc Marquez. First Moto2 win for Nico Terol. First Moto3 win for Alex Rins... you get the idea! This weekend was special for many of the riders in the paddock, and the riders that won the races were just the beginning.

MotoGP: Marc Marquez impresses you more with every lap, his incredible riding style, his incredible speed, but the most impressive of all is that he takes the expectation we place upon his young shoulders and delivers what we asked and so much more. Marquez was fastest in the pre-season test, so we knew this was the perfect chance for him to take his maiden win in the premier class. Although he made a mistake at the first corner, he quickly made up positions and played the long game, shadowing Dani Pedrosa until he was ready to take the lead. Pedrosa did not give in easily, staying with Marquez until making a mistake of his own, giving Marquez enough breathing space to take a comfortable victory. Jorge Lorenzo claimed the last step of the podium with a solid ride for damage limitation as he knew he did not have the pace of the Hondas. Lorenzo did come under threat from the blistering pace of Cal Crutchlow, despite that he rides last years machinery. Valentino Rossi was also forced to ride defensively as he struggled to adapt to the new circuit, but did manage to finish in sixth place. Bradley Smith performed much better in this race, scoring his first points in the class after crashing out in Qatar, and fellow rookie Andrea Iannone got another top ten finish, cementing his strong start to the season.

Moto2: Nico Terol stormed from a poor position on the grid to take second place behind a very speedy Scott Redding. Redding looked to have the pace to win, but soon started to slow (eventually finishing fifth) and Terol took the lead and never looked back. Behind, Esteve Rabat, Mika Kallio and Dominique Aegerter battled for second, third and fourth place. Pol Espargaro fought hard to keep his championship lead but crashed, luckily avoiding serious injury when his boot came off during the tumble. Takaaki Nakagami was forced to retire with gearbox issues, meaning that Scott Redding now leads the championship.

Moto3: Twelve laps in to the first race, Alex Rins lead when the race was red flagged as Jasper Iwema had a huge accident (he was knocked unconscious but has since been declared okay). That race was declared void and was restarted as a five lap sprint. Luis Salom grabbed the early lead but Maverick Vinales and Rins soon caught him up and they jostled for the lead until the last corner where Rins took the victory, with Vinales second and Salom third. Salom and Rins are now tied for points at the top of the championship.

[xmisslorenzo99x]

[theneverendingbikes]

I tried as hard as I could to keep my position, but then Rossi came through at a blistering pace and, to tell the truth, I couldn't stop him - he went straight through. I did all that I could, but it wasn't enough.

Dani Pedrosa on his fourth place finish in the Qatar MotoGP race. From MotoGP.com

[gasamartello]

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Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi. MotoGP Race, Qatar 2013. (This picture should be viewed whilst listening to the theme from Jaws!)

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MotoGP Qatar 2013 Review: Triumph and turmoil at the season opener!

Butterflies, sweaty palms and a racing heart. I don't know about the riders, but this is what I was feeling as they lined up on the grid for the first race of the year. Every fan of MotoGP had been looking forward to this race for months. Everyone at the circuit, and everyone watching all over the world knew that this race mattered. As they revved their engines and waited for the lights to go out, we all knew that the outcome of the next forty-five minutes could make, break or re-ignite careers. The pre-season testing made us fans some serious promises of the some of the best racing of the modern era, and it did not disappoint.

MotoGP: This is the race everyone was waiting for. Unlike the last few years in this category, there are at least four potential race winners and many more podium contenders. This of course means great racing for fans, but also means that alongside the elation of those that finish on the podium, there is also disappointment for those that miss out. We had our first taste of this elation as Jorge Lorenzo began his title defence in stunning form with a run away victory. Marc Marquez began his career in MotoGP in equally stunning form, overcoming nerves and his team mate to take third position. Arguably however, the biggest story from this race is the gorgeous return to the fray of Valentino Rossi. His return to Yamaha after two years at Ducati has been covered extensively in the press and the pressure was on him to perform, especially as his replacement at Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso managed to qualify ahead of him. Rossi carved his way through the field early on, providing edge of seat entertainment only to make a mistake and fall back to seventh. He was then left to work his way back up the field, lapping much faster than those in front, he dispatched Stefan Bradl, Cal Crutchlow and Dani Pedrosa and then battled with Marquez to clinch second position in the dying laps. It was immense, it was beautiful, it was exciting and it was only the start, welcome to MotoGP 2013!

Moto2: Pol Espargaro has started this season as an early title favourite, and has been very impressive in pre-season testing. Scott Redding has also been impressive and has been noted as a potential race winner this year. The surprise of the weekend though came from Takaaki Nakagami as he was very fast throughout practice and qualifying. The race was sure to be a battle between this very fast trio, Nakagami led the early laps with Redding behind, however Redding soon took the lead from the Japanese rider, who lost some of his early pace and was also passed by Espargaro, who then set off after Redding. Espargaro captured the lead with just five laps to go and built up a gap of a second before crossing the finish line.

Moto3: Maverick Vinales once again started this season as the title favourite, with Luis Salom also tipped to challenge on his new KTM. The race was highly dramatic and a great warm up for the action later on. Alex Rins, Alex Marquez, Jonas Folger, Vinales and Salom all battled for the lead throughout the race. Salom eventually came out on top with Vinales and Rins placed second and third respectively after a photo finish, Marquez finished fourth and Folger fifth.

[theneverendingbikes]

My goal is to win by one minute!

Cal Crutchlow on his goal for the opening MotoGP race at Qatar. From MCN.com

[theneverendingbikes]

"...when you say you have a problem, first the Ducati guys don’t trust you 100% and secondly they are quite angry because you say the bike has a problem."

Valentino Rossi on working with Ducati. From MCN.com

[xaxawarhol]

He’s an idol for me, I would give anything to be him. He’s got speed and balance – pure art. To watch him is like reading a poem.

Brad Pitt about Valentino Rossi (via xaxawarhol)

[theneverendingbikes]

It was very funny from behind watching him. I enjoy a lot because his riding style is very spectacular, f**k, he rides very hard. I like his riding a lot. I said to him yesterday that this year we can fight and we can enjoy.

Valentino Rossi on Marc Marquez. From MCN.