Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the sixth time with a 7-5, 6-3
victory over Novak
Djokovic in the final. (Photograph: Alessandro
Bianchi/Reuters)
Comment: A nice couple of days for the two sports figures I follow. Rossi beat Stoner yesterday in the Le Mans MotoGP and Nadal downed Djokovic today.
Two prime wankers down in just two days - almost makes up for me f*cking up the content of Ayanda Mabulu's painting below :0)
Yo Tony do you think Honda would like to see Rossi end his career on a Repsol?
I hope so - that Ducati may be good in the rain but it sucks just about everywhere else. Rossi deserves a ride that matches his still prodigious racing skills.
That aside - the French Open starts on Sunday so it is game on all over again for Rafa ;0)
Onward!
2 comments:
That would really be something to see Rossi back on a Honda. But I think that the Rossi-Honda bridge was well and truly burned when Vale departed from the Japanese giant. There was soo much animosity and Rossi really went out to prove a point.
Honda is acknowledged as a technological powerhouse in the biking world. Their innovation, quality and attention to detail sees them at the top of the sales charts and the various world championship tables year after year.
I believe that it is this success that had led the company to be quite arrogant in its dealings with its riders. Honda is used to telling their riders exactly how their machinery should be ridden.
In my opinion, Hondas racing history is tarnished by destroyed careers and broken bodies could be seen as a result of their arrogance. Take Freddie Spencer, destroyed by that stupid under the engine fuel tank. They persisted with it, even though he told them that out was a vile handling piece of poo. His untimely demise due to injury from flinging himself down the road with monotonous regularity.
Chris Walker could not even change footrests to get a more comfortable riding position. The 500 twin soon despatched him into the sea of pain. Chris never came back to his former glory, even as a superbike rider.
Mick Doohan was the first rider who could get Honda to change things more to his liking. It was only his sheer riding skill AND his strong personality that enabled him to do this. I think that the influence of his crew chief Jeremy Burgess and the other boys around him must have had some impact as well. Even then Honda's insistence on tampering possibly caused Doohan's career ending injuries. Mick was complaining that the bike didn't feel right, but they insisted that nothing was changed. Of course, on that fateful day, he went out in patchy, wet conditions, to better a lap time (when he didn't really need to), touched the white line and BOOM career over. They later found out that the weight distribution of the bike was altered by 5%. I don't know if that caused the accident, but Doohan could tell that something was wrong....Another incidence of Honda's insistence on doing things their way, even if it didn't really work for the rider.
Rossi was the other rider who held some sway with the way that things were going on the bikes development. Again his talent and strong character enabled him to do this. Also not forgetting the presence Jeremy Burgess and the other boys around him. I'm not sure what went on behind the scenes with Rossi, but I'm fairly sure that it was a constant battle to get things to go his way. Also some of the other things that Honda did grinded Vale a lot. e.g. He was promised his championship winning bike (can't remember which year), but when it came to delivering, he was met with excuses at every turn. Yamaha on the other hand delivered on their promises. So Rossi and Honda…..not so sure that this will happen, but then again….??
Stoner. You know that I’m no Casey Stoner fan, but for once I whole heartedly agree with the little whiner. You know that I have long been bemoaning the fact the DORNA are changing our sport into an F1 type circus wank. This new CRT class, the dumb rules that no one can go straight into a factory team, the rules that allow the sport to be run by technology, rather than rider skill. Bullshit. Good on Casey for standing up and speaking out. (Although, I’m have a feeling that he would probably have retired anyway, but took this opportunity to take a swipe at the establishment.)
So, Boet, sorry to turn your simple question into a fucking essay. As a redeeming factor, I did curb myself from going into another tirade about the state of the sport. Moto3…shit. Moto2…shit. OK, I’m going, I’m going!
Cheers
Tony
Tony thanks for schooling me on the history of Honda and its politics in MotoGP.
It was an interesting read and informative for those of us (me mostly) who watch the races and think it is all about the individual rider.
What stood out for me last Sunday was that Rossi is still a skilled rider that can do damage when the odds are more even.
If not Honda then who? Rossi made it clear he was up for the taking if Honda was listening.
I find myself bored with MotoGP. It is too predictable boet - at least with Superbikes there is some contestation even if the electric gadgetry is similarly rearing its ugly head.
I thought of you yesterday when I read an article in the DFA covering the leader of the CC Riders who was knocked down by a drunk driver in Church St. (opposite Pescod High).
The brother is in a critical condition and his bike totaled. On the seat next to the driver of the car that knocked him down they found an opened bottle of hard liquor and a grip of beers (color picture in the DFA).
I thought man it is gamble to ride here. It gives new meaning to drunk driving.
Folks here drive and drink and do so openly.
The other day I say a taxi dude drinking from a green beer bottle at a four-way intersection and he had passengers too.
Not only does one have to watch for potholes ... it is dangerous living for bikers (for all road users really).
Sorry for going off on a tangent.
I need to get busy trying to nail a ticket to Portland for August and do so without having to sell the pausey.
Wish me luck boet.
Thanks for schooling your old bra.
Peace my broer,
Ridi
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