Phew – looks like Rossi’s ‘Ducati demons’ are banished



Valentino Rossi – who takes my vote as the greatest motorcycling grand prix racer of all time – looks to have put the disaster of his Ducati years behind him.

He finished fourth on the Sepang, Malaysia test on Monday, inside his 2012 qualifying time.

He was 0.427 seconds slower than quickest man Dani Pedrosa on a 2'01.783 but was soon on the pace.

“It was a big relief, because after two seasons like this you have a lot of question marks, a lot of doubt. Am I still a top rider? Am I still able to arrive at the limit with the bike?”

“In the last two seasons the results were quite bad, but especially the difference to the top guys was huge. It was not half a second, it was 1.5-2 seconds. So for me it is a great relief today.

“What I understand in my career is that the feeling after ten laps is very important... and I was straight in the top three this morning.

“I am very positive that we can improve over the next few days but I’m happy with the start.”

bikesportnews.com
crash.net

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yeugh cult!

Image
Everyone knows so-called 'probiotic drinks are sugar and water masquerading as health food.  And that great customer relations is about listening to what people are saying.  So how do you explain this - below - from the distributors of Yakult in response to my mate 'Nutters's’ complaint?? First, I'd better explain that the milkman left 24 free samples of this expensive confection at 'Nutters's' place of work.  'Nutters' didn't ask for them ... didn't welcome them and told Mr Yakult as much. You will notice that Yakult's careful, official, line is not to claim health benefits, just the weasel words about ‘positive outcomes’.  I shall be following this up at some reputable sources, including Quack Watch and Bad Science. Watch this space. Here's the official response: Subject: RE: Yakult freebies Dear , Thank you for your email; I am very sorry that you were disappointed with your recent free delivery of Yakult. Just to give you so...
Read more

An African-German who wanted to join Hitler Youth and became a ground-breaking editor – amazing, true, inspiring

Image
Every so often you read of someone whose life has been so unimaginable, so extraordinary – so inspiring – it takes your breath away.   This was my experience, today, reading of the life of Hans Massaquoi – a black teenager in Germany during the war who failed in an adolescent bid to join the Hitler Youth, survived the carpet bombing of Hamburg, played saxophone for American servicemen, emigrated to the USA, served in the Korean war and edited two ground-breaking black American magazines. Massaquoi died on 19 January - his 87th birthday, He also published his autobiography - see cover photo above. Read on, please: telegraph.co.uk independent.co.uk wikipedia
Read more

Mick Woollett, a true gent.

Mick, a proper gent – I’ll miss him Mick Woollett (easy to remember the name, double everything except ‘e’ and ‘w’) died on Monday.   He was my editor at Motor Cycle Weekly in the ‘seventies and early ‘eighties.   He was mature in every sense of the word, made editor in his early fifties and a proper gentleman, having to work with an office-full of (mostly) youngsters. He never lost his cool, was unfailingly courteous, never swore and was always perfectly mannered.   Extraordinary. I plan to get a lot more off my chest about Mick, but for the moment I’ll leave you with this, true, story from, about 1982. MCW had one mouthy sub, a Kiwi called Brendan who was always shouting off about everything.   He knew everything, was witty, but packed full of bluster and b**s**.   In the run-up to the Daytona Speed Week one year he’d been shouting the odds about how HE ought to join the team because of all his experience, skills and how he’d do a better j...
Read more