MotoGP

[kbasa]

Nicky?

Or Rossi? Who's gonna take it?

[Burnszilla]

http://bikes.grandprix.com.au/var/agpc_bikes/storage/images-versioned/11784/1-eng-AU/nicky_hayden_in_qualifying_action1.jpg
shwing!

[kbasa]

http://bikes.grandprix.com.au/var/agpc_bikes/storage/images-versioned/11784/1-eng-AU/nicky_hayden_in_qualifying_action1.jpg
shwing!


ohhhhhhh yeahhhhh

I hope he gets his act together and starts riding up front again. He's been pretty timid the last couple races and I'm concerned about his general momentum, you know? Rossi's been on a tear when he can get past the Capirossi on the Duc.

[Visian]

Nicky's contract is up and the Cycle rags are full of where he is going to go.

Reports have him going to Yamaha.... say it isn't so!

Apparently, he is riding a newer, less well-refined bike than his teamate Pedrosa, and it doesn't have the grip that Nicky would like.

I'm rooting for Nicky to win and to stay with Honda.

Ian

[kreinke]

He renewed for two years according to Roadracing World.

[85138]

Gonna go down to the last race. Never count the doctor out. Of course he'll need a wee bit of luck and he's still the best rider out there.

[Visian]

He renewed for two years according to Roadracing World.

Yes! :clap

I just went to his site and see that he announced this on September 27th.

Man, work is getting in the way of important stuff... thanks for the news.

[Oznay]

Gonna go down to the last race. Never count the doctor out. Of course he'll need a wee bit of luck and he's still the best rider out there.

I agree,Rossi's definetly the best rider! Am rootin'for him to take the title..

[soffiler]

The heart says Nicky, but the head says Valentino.

I watch MotoGP religiously on Speed, but I fall short of reading every last iota of news that I can find on the sport; so from what I hear the announcers saying, Nicky is on a new-ish chassis that is not well sorted out. I don't think it's lack of skill or effort on Nicky's part, but in the last several rounds it has become clear he's not a contender for the podium. He is riding his heart out for these fourth-, fifth-, sixth-place finishes.

I don't see anything changing in the last two rounds. A couple of second's for Rossi combined with a couple of fourth's for Hayden and it's game over.

[jdiaz]

I dunno. Estoril is a dusty dirty track near the ocean, so the guys who can slide their bikes a lot might do the best. Nicky and Vale ought to be close here.

Then there's Valencia. Rossi OWNS this track, even if the Spanish hate his guts now.

[Visian]

I cannot believe it.

Pedrosa took out Nicky on lap 5 and now Rossi has an 8 point lead.

Article. (http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=10056) ugh!

[j-budimlya]

Sad day for Nicky.....and all his fans..... :hungover

[Oznay]

Man,that pass thatr Elias put on Rossi the first time,will stay in my head a looooong time,was poetry in motion.I'm bettin'Pedrosa won't be gettin'a Christmas card from Nicky this year. The final race will be one I'll book off work t'watch,GO VALENTINO!!!

[terham]

I used Tivo today to tape the race and just watched it. Unbelievable. Even though I like Rossi a lot, I'll be rooting for Nicky next week. Maybe the five points Elias took from Rossi will make a difference in the end.

[soffiler]

This was the prevalent sound in my household as we watched the tape:

WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I've never, ever yelled that long and loud and often at my TV. What an emotional race. And what an amazing finish. Elias - who? Barely a Top Ten guy. KR... would have loved to see him pull it out. Nicky is normally a laid-back kind of guy, but I bet it took several large men to keep him off Pedrosa.

[naddy100]

I'm actually rooting for Rossi.

There are a couple of points. The first is that however I root, I'm not affecting the outcome. I don't have satellite or cable, so I don't even see it in real time. It's going to happen however it happens pretty much independently of me. The second is that in many, maybe most, cases I root for underdogs. I root even harder if the underdog seems like a virtuous person. Rossi is anything but an underdog. And I certainly don't know anything about his virtues beyond riding a motorcycle.

I'm rooting for Rossi, because I think Rossi's series of championships will be an unusual event in sporting history that I'll be able to say I was more or less alert to as it happened.
Noel

[Emoto]

It was ugly today.

[Wkoppa]

What an exciting end of the season it will be. If everyone gets through practice and qualifying without mishap it will really be important to start well, stay out of trouble and not make any big mistakes. Nicky has to win with Rossi no better than third from what I understand. To do that Nicky will have to step it up but he still can't control what happens behind him. I am betting that Nicky be there in the end.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
96 850R
77 RS

[soffiler]

What an exciting end of the season it will be. If everyone gets through practice and qualifying without mishap it will really be important to start well, stay out of trouble and not make any big mistakes. Nicky has to win with Rossi no better than third from what I understand. To do that Nicky will have to step it up but he still can't control what happens behind him. I am betting that Nicky be there in the end.

Hi Wayne:

You understand correctly but there is more to it. Valentino has an 8 point lead over Nicky. Therefore Nicky needs a minimum of 9 points over Valentino to win the championship. Here are some of the scenarios that get Nicky his 9 points over Valentino:

If Nicky places first (25 points) then we need Valentino no better than third (16 points)

If Nicky places second (20 points) then we need Valentino no better than fifth (11 points)

If Nicky places third (16 points) then we need Valentino no better than ninth (7 points)

If Nicky places fourth (13 points) then we need Valentino no better than twelvth (4 points)

If Nicky places fifth (11 points) then we need Valentino no better than fourteenth (2 points)

Nicky is on record telling Pedrosa that they have to be 1-2 in Valenciana. This speaks to the first scenario above. And it speaks to a team strategy - Pedrosa is supposed to get himself into second and then block for Nicky. This is not particularly common in MotoGP, although we did see Colin Edwards running behind Valentino in Portugal for that exact same reason.

Based strictly on Valentino's performance this season, finishing less than third is rather unlikely. In 16 races he's got 10 podiums (5 wins, 4 seconds, and one third), he's finished off the podium jthree times (a fourth, an eighth, and a fourteenth where he crashed and rejoined the race), and he has suffered mechanical DNF's in three races. Meaning this - if his mechanical problems are behind him, and he doesn't crash, then expect him very very near the front. Nicky's best hope (aside from sheer dumb luck) is to use Dani to block Valentino. Hopefully Dani the youngster learned his lesson when he took out Nicky in Portugal, and will do everything he can to get back in Nicky's good graces. This race is going to be a classic!!

[The_Veg]

I think I'm gonna go watch Faster! :laugh

[Wkoppa]

Rossi is on the pole and Nicky is fifth (1st Honda). He needs to step it up and have the ride of his life. Go Nicky.

Wayne Koppa
96 850R
77 RS
DRZ 250
Swedish Army Bicycle

[GRANT63RT]

Rossi is on the pole and Nicky is fifth (1st Honda). He needs to step it up and have the ride of his life. Go Nicky.

I'd love to see Nicky win it but Rossi has dominated at Velencia in the past. I'm afraid Pedrosa pretty much decided it for us 2 weeks ago. Of course, you never know...crazier things have happened :usa

[85138]

I can't wait for tomorrow. Been agonizing over this race for days on end.

GO ROSSI!!!

Rossi 1st or 2nd with the Bridgestone boyz in the mix. No podium for Nicky but somewhere in top 5 if he doesn't overdo it trying to make up ground.

Now how about Troy Bayliss? 2nd fastest on his only GP ride of the year? WOW. That would be something if he pulls off a win in his only GP race of 2006. Bridgestone seemed to have found some magic.

[Wkoppa]

And the winner is ---- Nicky. Yee Ha.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI

850 R
77 Rs

[GRANT63RT]

I've always liked Rossi but I'm sure glad Nicky pulled it off. I don't think anyone can say he didn't deserve it. Great Job!!! :usa :clap

[Visian]

:twirl

I was out riding today, and finally got back into cellphone range, checked Cyclenews.com and yeeeee-HAAAA!!!!

Just got finished watching the race on Tivo... Nicky has a *ton* of class. I think he was going to cry.

:drink

[terham]

I was sorry to see Rossi lose it the way he did, but I was very happy to see Nicky take the championship. I didn't give Nicky much chance before the start. I sat down with my predinner martini to watch the race which I had Tivoed and before I ate the first olive, Rossi had crashed. The 5 points Elias took from Rossi at the finish of the Spanish GP turned out to be crucial. And how about Bayliss? I've enjoyed watching him in WSB this year. With 3/4 of a lap to go, my daughter called me for dinner. What an enjoyable dinner that was! I still have indigestion from eating so fast.

[85138]

I'm bummed that Rossi didn't win. But it anyone else had to win it ... Nicky deserves it.

Just goes to show ... a little luck here or boo boo there ... determines a championship.

Next year is going to be interesting. Not only new (800cc) bikes but 5 guys or so who could win the championship.

[kbasa]

Anybody catch Pedrosa waving Nicky by and into third?

Very nice.

[Oznay]

Anybody catch Pedrosa waving Nicky by and into third?

Very nice.
Rossi showed he's a class act,when he was the first rider to get'long side of Nicky,and raise his arm up,in congratulations, next year's gonna be sooooooooo interesting!

[Visian]

Anybody catch Pedrosa waving Nicky by and into third?

Very nice.

with his foot.... :p

[kbasa]

with his foot.... :p

I thought I clearly saw him use his hand and then his foot. He gave Nicky a little "hurry up hurry up" wave and then used his foot. Pretty neat to see.