Moto Gp. Valencia Spain.

[Matador107]

Three classes, therefore 9 top three placings .Seven out of the nine won by Spanish riders, 77.777 per cent saturation . It's going to be a while before any one knocks these blokes over.

Lorenzo , a tough tenacious rider never gives in and Marquez beginning his reign.

[Lozza]

Spainish Federation deserves a big pat on the back for showing how to put a domestic series as a high a level as GP's. Whats easy to overlook is how many Spainish engineers work behind the scenes as well. Any young rider that wants a crack at GP's is racing in the Buckler CEV championship, which just makes it even stronger.

[allan hughes]

i recall speaking to matty kuhne
multiple junior aus dirt track champ
at north bris circa 2008
he did the 125 spanish cup
and said unless your spanish/italian
your chances are very slim

[SON]

It helps to be rich or have rich backers

[oldyzman]

Would also help to be an ex Honda DUDE, But at the end of the day the kid has to be able to ride!

[Lozza]

i recall speaking to matty kuhne
multiple junior aus dirt track champ
at north bris circa 2008
he did the 125 spanish cup
and said unless your spanish/italian
your chances are very slim

Nonsense plenty have kicked goals like Jack Miller, I've said it a 100 times but when do you hear a Spanish or Italian rider that cannot give a interview in English? Have not heard many Aussies give interviews in Spanish and Italian one after the other. Takagami-san is Japanese but speaks English with a Spanish accent. So it can be done.
An old rule of business in Europe is "If your selling you need to speak the language if your buying you can just nod and point" 

[Zakk]

i think for 20 years the Spanish controlled Dorna got tired of watching a never ending line of smart arsed American and Australian riders with no money dominate ' their ' 500cc class, so they came up with a new class with a new set of rules that any rider could win, provided he was on the right bike. Then it didn't matter how good the Yank or Aussie was, there would always be half a dozen cashed up Spainish and Italians buying the now limited supply of factory rides.... unless the riders can bring millions of EURO's they wouldn't get a chance to ride the factory bikes.
As for the fans, well the Spanish and Italian fans will love it and as for the rest, they might never notice how dull and boring GP's have become so long as the Dorna paid TV comentators said it was the greatest racing ever.

Sorry but give me uncontrollable 2 strokes which only GODS can ride, all these motogp classes are shitzen-houzen.... reminds me of F1 about 5years ago

[firko]

Sorry but give me uncontrollable 2 strokes which only GODS can ride, all these motogp classes are shitzen-houzen.... reminds me of F1 about 5years ago

Exactly what Zakk said. MotoGP is a Yawnfest to me.....and Lozza's right about the language barrier. I bet Wayne Gardner's lads speak fluent Spanish and Italian.

[Lewis]

Forget the language barrier,forget the money side of it,it takes talent.If you've got that,the rest falls into place.Maybe the "tall poppy syndrome"or a bit of veiled racism coming out.
                                                       

[Lozza]

True teams will are always on the lookout for lightning in  a bottle. Spain always has had talented riders it's only recently have we seen that emerge then dominate the premier class. In the good old days of 80cc class it was a Italian/Spanish fest in both riders and manufacturers.
I doubt Wayne's kids speak fluent Spainish but half a dozen cliches you can confidently say to camera after good performance makes a big difference.
Spain is stumping up the cash as well, there have only been 2 companies tha have sponsored Aussies at GP level, Yellow Pages with Mark Webber and Bondy's Swan Larger dishwater with Wayne Gardner, compared to say the $10million a year Repsol has tipped in over the last 20 years. Much smaller companies are happy to sponsor motocycle racing as well. A contact ran a team that was sponsored by a Spanish "cake company' as he described it, so a product like Wagon Wheels were willing to be naming rights sponsor a 125GP team.
MotoGP gets about 5mins of coverage on Spanish national TV each monday, just behind the soccer which seems to get about 15-20mins. Probably a large slice of the print media as well.
With the tap of unlimited cash from gasper money gone, which forces teams to be very conservative on their rider choices, Aussies will have to arrive in Europe with a truckload of talent AND money rather then just talent.
 

[Matador107]

Geez there's some hard markers on here, I won't mention how good the Spanish are in trials riding then. They are here next year as well in Victoria,early April and I'll be there.
As far as Moto  Gp, well next year 6 of us are off to the IOM and follow up with a dose of Moto Gp in Barcelona for good measure.
Some may say boring so I've got that covered too with a scheduled visit to the Sammy Miller museum in the UK and ROMEROS BROTHERS BULTACO shop in Barcelona.

In my view there are motorcycles and there are Bully's, youvé got to have a passion for something.

VIVA

[TooFastTim]

Geez there's some hard markers on here, I won't mention how good the Spanish are in trials riding then. They are here next year as well in Victoria,early April and I'll be there.

I'll ignore the rest of your clearly biased post ( Ilove Spanish bikes and if you doubt me check in the Spanish forum), but lets talk about trials for bit shall we?

The Spanish federation has become, over the last 30 years or so, recipient to some very "comfortable" deals and they have used this to very good effect and all the better for 'em. In trials, as manufacturers, they have dominated the sport for nigh on 50 years. In the last ten they have bought their influence to bear so that every EVERY round of the WTC resembles a Spanish domestic championship round. Big steps, loads of grip. It's all become so effing predictable and if you don't conform to the formula you don't get a round. Well done the Spanish. What happened to snotty muddy sections?

In the indoor championship a few years ago 3 of the six rounds were held in Spain and Andorra. They have bought the sport. They killed the championship for the rest of the world. Nobody outside Spain (and not many inside Spain) gives a rats arse for that kind of trial. Most of us aspire to conquering a nice snotty stream. But whats happening at WTC level has become a sport that few of us recognise. A part of the sport certainly. But not THE sport. Then the Spanish have the temerity to complain that they're not selling enough bikes? Well the gall of it all!

I'm not the only person in trials that thinks this way. A certain ex World Champ shares my POV and, why, pray why is modern trials dying in Spain? A country where twinshock entries exceed modern? Why can't a top Spanish WTC rider make it into the top 5 of the SSDT and gets thrashed by UK guys who can't even score points in WTC round?

So do you still think they're so good at trials then? I reckon F.X. would be renting his clothes.

[SON]

I agree, my way or the highway.
Now what about Japan ?
How have they become subservient to the Spanish ?

[tony27]

I agree, my way or the highway.
Now what about Japan ?
How have they become subservient to the Spanish ?

Spanish company runs the championship so the Japanese have to play by their rules or not play at all, now that superbikes is run by the same outfit there is no alternate for them

[firko]

They killed the championship for the rest of the world. Nobody outside Spain (and not many inside Spain) gives a rats arse for that kind of trial. Most of us aspire to conquering a nice snotty stream. But whats happening at WTC level has become a sport that few of us recognise. A part of the sport certainly. But not THE sport

That's pretty much what's happened to motocross over the last couple of decades, the Americans changed the way tracks were designed with the gradual 'supercrossing" of motocross and the virtual disappearance of true natural terrain tracks and Giuseppe Luongo and Youthstream have dumbed down the World Motocross Championships so thoroughly that nobody outside of Spain/Portugal/Italy really gives a shit any more. Whenever old blokes like me blab on about how great Grand Prix road racing and motocross (and trials) once were, we get the old "living in the past" eyes rolling brush off from Gen X'ers that weren't even born during the sports boom periods. All three divisions might now look colourful with their energy drink logos everywhere but the sport(s) have faded to a low I never thought I'd see. When the American indoor and outdoor motocross series' have more importance on the world stage than the world championship something is very, very wrong.