Toseland doesn\'t make Superpole at Valencia
 

Originally posted on Crash.net

Topping the time sheets for the third round in a row is Championship leader Troy Corser on the Alstare Corona Suzuki he was the only rider to dip into the 1min 35secs.

His team-mate Yukio Kagayama who is usually hot on his heels came home in eighth spot.

The Winston Ten Kate Hondas were on the move this morning with Karl Muggeridge qualifying second and team mate Chris Vermeulen in fifth.

Young German rider Max Neukirchner on the Klaffi Honda who achieved a podium in Philip Island qualified third just ahead of British rider Chris Walker on his PSG-1 Kawasaki.

Frankie Chili even though he is riding with and injured shoulder and knee sustained at Philip Island he still managed a top ten position and qualified ninth.

Endurance rider David Checa came home in eleventh fresh from his win at the Le Man 24 hour endurance race last weekend.

Ben Bostrom on the Renegade Honda qualified in thirteenth which allows him into Superpole for the first time this season. The Petronas riders had mixed fortunes with Steve Martin in sixteenth place and Garry McCoy in eighteenth.

Unfortunately for World Champion James Toseland on the Xerox Ducati, he has failed to qualify for Superpole. Shocked Toseland qualified in twenty third position and with only the top sixteen riders going forward to Superpole he will not be taking part.

James has had concerns with the front forks and latest reports trackside from Valencia suggest he is not confident in the front end of the bike at the moment. In contrast Toseland's team mate Regis Laconi is in seventh position.

watched some of superpole earlier wondered where toseland was he might be job hunting soon

P1 to P45 in less than a year me thinks

:lol::lol::lol: Laugh my socks off :lol::lol::lol:

23rd on the grid for tomorrow. Even if you're having problems with the forks, that's a shocking position. Full factory Ducati 999 and your team mate is 3rd on the grid. Not good enough.

I know were supposed to all get behind toesland and all that,
but I really don't think he has the quality to do the business this year.
The Ducatis are up against it any way this year. and I don't see him as a race winner more of a consistency man and at the mo he's not even doing that. ?
come on son sort it out

I know he's not a Ducati rider, but we should have a big up for the stalker, top brit... by a long way

always enjoy watching Walker what ever bike he is on. Now that would be great to see him on the Ducati Corse.

careful....Dibble might not have seen it yet!

:lol::lol::lol:

Toseland didn't get a lap in on a qualifier prior to superpole because of a technical problem which meant he had to change the front wheel. When he went back out he just missed the clock to put a decent lap in to get himself into superpole.

You have to feel sorry for him, I wonder what sort of state he is in mentally. The world champ is definitely having a testing year.

This weekends problems are reportedly be due to new forks, - JT gave up with them in the end and reverted to a proven pair.

Race 1 - 23rd to 8th if I remember right is not bad......then he got taken off in 2nd race :(

Perhaps Ducati Corse knowing that the chances are not so good this year are focusing on AMA?

If he is a professional , then he should be doing something better that that ...

Technical is an "excuse" ... so why has he lost the plot?

Well he's not a professional mechanic is he? He can't help it if there is a mechanical problem, he's just supposed to ride it.

I do agree that he seems to be slipping mentally. When he went off in the second race it seemed more to target fixation rather than being runoff, the accident happened in front of him and he seemed to follow it. That may be a bit harsh because he was out of shot for the majority of it so I can't be sure that nothing happened before then.

are you saying you expect to see a top rider or world champion even down in 21st before they put a qualifier on ?

You lot SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd like to see any of you lot go out there, and do what they do. You going to put your life on the line, I don't think so.:mad:

Rant over.

Easy Jon. I kinda think that I actually am - not kidding myself about the level though obviously.


If I was saying that, I would have said it.

I was merely explaining what happened.

You and I don't know what they were testing etc, they may have been high enough to be in superpole on race tyres, like everyone else, and then the technical hitch and not doing a lap on q tyres allowed the others who did put them on do go ahead? Do YOU know what times he was doing in practice before everyone chucked in q tyres?

People like Mugga's (who needs to stop crashing!!) can go a second quicker on qualifiers - if you don't get a lap on qualifiers then you may not get into superpole regardless of what times you were running on race tyres!

**** pore excuse, qualifying is that not testing
I know im abrupt but hey only time will tell
Ducati wont win the title this year because they no longer have a cc advantage, the can run what forks they like it wont win them any races this year

Nope, I couldn't do what he does.

But I'm not toting myself around as a racer and earning good money.

For some reason Toseland has totally lost it mentally. Same bike as last year, but best place 6th ??

I feel sorry for him, as I don't think that he has the full support of Ducati ... but there is only one man who can cahnge his fortunes.

He will not be doing the full season on the current performance ....

I still say you suck. You are not worthy of cleaning his boots, let alone question his performance.:flame:

i dont think JT has recovered from those sambucas at the DD launch ...... hey ho .... :roll:

I might be pondlife , but unfortunately I am right .

Much better riders have been shafted in the past ... Bayliss, Corser, Hodgson and Chili to mention a few names ....

But that's the sport....

Pieman, its just that I don't believe in kicking a man when he's down. If anything he needs your support. All is not what it seems when looked on from the outside.

No not really Weeksy. I just get the impression Tardozzi prefers the frog for his number one rider.

You can also say that if he feels the team isn't with him, what chance does he stand. I know its a mental thing and the bloke still only a kid compared to us lot.

After seeing Corser do the double again I can't see anyomne else beating him to the title unless someone can put him under pressure soon.

I really can't believe the Fours have come on so much over the winter that Ducati are getting beaten to death in what has pretty much been their championship form years.

Wasn't there a "fork issue" in the Moto GP team last year. A certain Troy Bayliss showed what he could do when he got what he wanted at the last race of the year????

Time to wheel out the 998s again!!!

I don't like to see Ducati getting beaten and I don't like to see a Brit on a Ducati getting beaten. I can't believe JT's head has gone but if he has no confidence in the thing due to tech problems what can he do, the two things are linked.

You can see what difference a bike can make. Corser was made to look at best average on the FPR even if he was riding the wheels off the thing. he jumps on the Gixer, does a shed load of development and testing and he's back showing the others the way home.

Ray

I can't hold with people who say JT isn't a talented racer, some of the scraps that he had with Laconi, Vermulen and Haga (or was it Kagayama, I don't know, for some reason I always get those two mixed up) seemed to show real determination, bravery and a fair old dollop of skill. He's already shown that he can compete with Laconi on a like for like basis, maybe not in qualifying, or race by race, but across a whole season which is what counts. Mr Consistency? Maybe, but the scandinavian rally drivers had a saying that "To finish first, first you have to finish" and Laconi spent far too much time trying to corner on his arse last year even if he was quicker on his day.

So, the real reason for JT's lack of pace are known only to JT himself and a select band of the Ducati Corse team.

Is he getting second best to Laconi? Maybe, but it's in the teams interest to get behind the on form rider. Is he really on the same bike as last year, as some people on this thread have surmised? If he is then it's no wonder his results are bad, because if you stand still you're going backwards. Of course he's not on the same bike, Ducati have developed it over the winter and may have done a similar job as they did to the 03 and 04 Desmosedici and not kept pace with the development of the opposition. Let's face it, developing a twin to compete on a level playing field with the fours is a huge struggle in itself and it's only a question of time before Ducati have to go down the four cylinder route.

Maybe JT has succumbed to mental fatigue. How much mental effort does winning a world championship take out of you? We will never know (Foggy of course will claim that you could do it year in year out - but only if you've got the top bike in the field). Maybe JT has started to think he's been there, done that and he's got nothing to prove. Maybe he has started to believe his own press and had his ego massaged too many times by adoring fans. Maybe he's done a few too many Ducati PR events and been pi$$ed all winter. We will never know.

What we will see is a young guy under pressure to perform, and the test of whether he's a true champion or not will be if he can raise his game or just slide back down to relative obscurity. We shall see

Steve,

I doubt it is the exactly the same bike, stand still in top drawer racing and you go backwards.

There will have been a load of changes on pretty much every front, the only area that stays the same are where you can't go homologating new bits every five minutes.

As Jools says unless you're there you can't really say with certaintly what the score is. The PR smolescreens don't help and that applies to any race team.

WSB does make some attempt the equal out the advantages of some bikes but I would say that the rules allow some bikes to be "more equal" than others.

The rules might changed to address the balance again but until the rule makers are sure that something needs to be done they are gonna wait and see.

From what I have heard and seen the Suzuki WSB team have stolen a march on the opposition, whether or not this remains temporary remains to be seen. On the Ducati Front they are the only team to be running both WSB and Moto GP team out of the factory?? IMHO that has got to dilute the effort of one of both for what is in numbers terms a very small manufacturer.

If the rules change in WSB it may well not be necessary to go V4, that one is in the hands of the rule makers. In some respect technology is getting out of hand in what is really meant to be a very tricked up roadbike series? Big bang engines, traction control don't really have a place IMHO in WSB.

Comparing the AMA and BSB is not really comparing like for like for one major reason, Tyres. In some respects we have lost a gauge of how good the locals are against the WSB boys or vice versa, another loss as far as the spectator is concerned IMHO.

I hope all the teams in WSB can raise the game to put Suzuki under pressure, 'cos all I want to see is a big pack of bike battling for the lead.

Ray

I think there have been some leaps and bounds in the 999F05 over the 03 and 04 bikes, different weight distribution for one, but these changes would have been made because of input from all the riders, test riders included.

Ducati want to win like any other team, and I doubt there would be any favouritism, and you would hope that JT carrying the No. 1 plate would get preferencial treatment if such thing existed, just to push sales.

Unfortunately for whatever reason he isn't having a good year, as can be seen by everyone, the results, the team, and I guess you have to look at Laconi to see the void there is there.

Barring mechanical failure/injury Corser will have this championship sewn up by mid season, JT hasn't got a hope in hell now, he needs to concentrate on beating his team mate more than anything else IMO.

Only the third race of the season is a little early to be writing JT 'off' I think, personally I think he's just been victim to some bad luck....

But 24 points behind your team-mate and 111 points behind a series leader is a bad place to be.

Its hard to see anyone stopping Corser - but the way he's riding now - he deserves it, we all know hes a class act.

Great to see Stalker on the podium again - every race please !

Personally... Hmmmm probably, Laconi is damn quick, and clearly going better than JT, but he does crash, look at Valencia he didn't turn a wheel on race day, well apart from coming off in the warm up!

If JT's fortunes don't change he'll either be back in BSB or probably with FPR next year in WSB or such like, certainly in the wilderness for a while. It's a pity, but unfortunately there's a hell of a lot of talented riders out there snapping at his heels right now in WSB, WSS, and various domestic series who would love a chance at a factory ride

:o:o:o:o A ride with FPR I wouldn't wish that on anyone:o:o:o

Ray:P

Hey, whats all this talk about the race...I havnt seen it yet.......Oh yeah, i went to Valencia!! Fantastic day!:roll:

Well its a bit like Rockingham where you can view all the track from one location, access and the carpark in and out was easy.

It cost 50 euros for the stand on the start finish straight, and another 15 to get access to the paddock and the pit lane walk about.

First person we see walking into the paddock, Corser. Stopped for the usual chat, but he was having none of it really with anyone. Still did the photo opportunity mind so we were happy.

We then went down to the Ducati area, as we passed the hospitality tent( pre morning warm up) Laconi suddenly appeared at speed on his scooter, had to take real avoiding action as he nearly ran the other arf over.

I of course rolocked the other arf for not throwing herself under the scooter in a vain attempt to get special treatment!:lol:

Of course 10 mins later he had fell off!!!!

We then had a real good walk about, photos with vermuellen, Walker, toseland, and on and on.....

Pit lane was good, so close to all the riders again and this time they were up for a chat.

Both races were good, Corser was away with it, and in the second race Toelands bike sounded awful!

We did learn that post race, the podium winners all went into a hospitality truck for interviews.after the second race, Walker who was amazing and i believe he would of caught Corser if he could of passed Vermuellen, Got the biggest cheer of the day.

After all the interviews he came to chat with us brits that had gathered and were cheering.Although really knackered, He was virtually raped for all his clothing etc, which he gave away!!! We got the right slider!!

Would i go again, yes. I wasnt as packed as a GP, but you get your monies worth of races, and everyone and thing seems so more accessable.

We also saw Foggy, who didnt look that happy..much! I think there will be changes there soon!!

Happy days

Sack Toseland bring in Lavilla!!!
 

What has happened to the Ducati squad...?
I was at Valencia and after Laconi knocking himself out Toseland was left to fly the flag. NOT
What is he upto??????
Bring in Lavilla, give him a go im sure he can pull the plug and ride like the wind!
It was a poor poor show for all the Dukes wsb & wss too. The Ducatis obviously now have a reverse gear:flame:
We ended up shouting for Stalker who rode the balls off his Kwacker.
Toseland could not even catch up with privateer back markers, it was embarassing to wear Ducati colours!!!!!!!

Maybe Ducati will bring in Lavilla as a replacement for Regis, who apparently woke up thinking he was a celebrity chef:sing:
At this rate Toseland will be working as a pianist on a p&o ferry........
Finished moaning now...Corser in a different league but Walker what a couple of decent rides.

Met a Ducati brolly Dolly see her top & up skirt shots on
www.tiscali.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/f1:burn:

According to the crash.net site, the effect that his HUGE crash in Qatar is having a far more profound affect on Toseland than we realise....even his boss has commented on JT finding it hard to get over.

Maybe this combined with poor support or under performing set up is all that is wrong?:puzzled:

Don't forget guys BSB top riders have a selection of prefered rubber.

WSB get what they are given:(

hard to see jt getting up fighting with the pack at the mo,but hes a fighter,too soon & easy to bin the kid. the factory should be helping him out at this low point,hes the champ? i guess as hes so young they dont hear him to well as they have done with former champs?

I wonder if Ducati will blame rider and not the Bike?

Laconi in near miss.......
 

On Saturday morning a friend of mine was nearly taken out by Regis on his scooter in the paddock!
Maybe Regis has got his Crashbackability on top form again:burn: