Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Race > Interesting stats on Valencia

[Monty]

Originally Posted by Urban996

I think Rossi blew it at the start. He needed a top two finish to be sure of winning the championship, and I have no doubt that Hayden could have easily finished second, and if it had come to it, probably even won the race - he got the pit board saying Rossi P20 and just cruised, no point taken any chances whatsoever.

Actually I have to disagree on one point-there was no-one going to overtake Bayliss at Valencia-he loves the place, he had absolutely nothing to lose-Nicky had to finish otherwise Rossi would still have been champion. Nicky wouldn't have risked trying to overtake Bayliss even if he could have caught him which frankly I don't think he could.

John

[749er]

Originally Posted by Monty

Actually I have to disagree on one point-there was no-one going to overtake Bayliss at Valencia-he loves the place, he had absolutely nothing to lose-Nicky had to finish otherwise Rossi would still have been champion. Nicky wouldn't have risked trying to overtake Bayliss even if he could have caught him which frankly I don't think he could.

John

I think you are right here. Factor in how well Rossi and Capirossi get on and you start to wonder how far Capirossi would have gone to stop him getting by him. And then if he did, there was Bayliss......and every time Capirossi or Hayden took time out of Bayliss, he took it straight back

[KeefyB]

Hmm,the top 10 qualifyers were all in the 1.31 bracket.When Rossi lobbed it,it took him 2 laps to catch and overtake the Ilmoor.(Slowest bike out there)
He was never gonna catch the leaders in a million years.Capirossi broke the lap record to stay with Bayliss.

The race itself was pretty boring after around lap 8.There was a bit of dicing downfeild but most of the positions stayed the same.
Man was it hot there tho.Unusually warm for the time of year.Sitting in the crowded open stand I thought I would melt.I missed most of the 250 race as the heat got the better of my 9 yr old daughter.We sat under the stand sipping water.She made it to the end of the big race,bless 'er.
The time/temp displays in town afterwards said 32 deg.C.
The Spaniards go just as mad for the 125's and 250's,(Well you would,if your countrymen were world champions),but hardly get a mention here.
125 Champ Alvaro Bautista was staying at our hotel and most of the Brits did'nt recognise him.It was only when they saw a life sized cut-out of him advertising chrisps that the penny dropped.