This weekend sees round 2 of the MotoGp World Championship at Jere, in, you guessed it, Spain. For most teams it is regarded as the real beginning of the season in the same way as the WSBK fraternity regard the Imola Rd 2 of their championship as being the real beginning to their season. The “fly-away” rounds are at the least an inconvenience at at most a nuisance to teams who are based in Europe and hate the travelling and all that it entails.
Jorge Lorenzo heads into Jerez with a lead that he probably wasn’t expecting to have given the Honda juggernaut of 2011. He can scarcely expect to see Casey Stoner afflicted by cramps again, though many were surprised at just how fast the 2012 Yamaha is. However, given that the Spanish riders always “lift” for their home races, he certainly isn’t going to go without a fight.
Will Rossi spring a surprise and put it on the front row? Will he even see which way the pack went? Don’t expect too much, the Doctor is a beaten man and knows that, failing a completely new bike with a new 75 degree engine (don’t laugh, it’s being suggested), he’s consigned to the doldrums for the forseeable.
All eyes will again be on the CRT bikes with the dire predictions of lack of speed from the second-string formula being proved uncomfortably right at Qatar. Apart from Colin Edwards who is in the twilight of his career and hasn’t produced a top level ride in years anyway, the lesser-lights in terms of equipment and riding roster had better get used to a pasting for 2012, unless DORNA steps in and gives them even more of a technical break than that which they presently enjoy.
In other racing news, Pedercini Racing’s David Salom has shown that there is honour in the paddock after all by rejecting an offer from the “works” Kawasaki squad to replace the injured Joan Lascorz in favour of staying with the team for whom he has signed and with whom he feels he has a moral obligation to stay. I, for one, am most impressed.
And, finally, courtesy of my good friends at visordown, the list of the worst motorcycling fashion faux pas. I thought this was brilliant. I wonder how many of these you have committed, I know I’ve been guilty of a few, but I’m not going to say which ones.