MotoGP Round 5 - Grand Prix of Frog, at The Men's.

[flying finn]

MotoGP Round 5 - Grand Prix de France - Le Mans, Sarthe

Friday 16.05
Free Practice 1 > 10.00 - 11.00
Free Practice 2 > 13.55 - 14.55

Saturday 17.05
Free Practice 3 > 10.00 - 11.00
Qualifying > 13.55 - 14.55

Sunday 18.05
Race (28 laps x 4.185km = 117.180km) > 14.00 - 15.00

lap record > 1.33.316 - Rossi (2006)
circuit map > http://www.gpfrancemoto.com/upload/p...to2008site.pdf
preview > http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/May/080512m.htm

Championship Standings

1. PEDROSA Dani SPA > 81
2. LORENZO Jorge SPA > 74
3. ROSSI Valentino ITA > 72
4. STONER Casey AUS > 56
5. CAPIROSSI Loris ITA > 33
6. TOSELAND James GBR > 33
7. EDWARDS Colin USA > 31
8. HAYDEN Nicky USA > 29
9. DOVIZIOSO Andrea ITA > 26
10. HOPKINS John USA > 26
11. MELANDRI Marco ITA > 23
12. NAKANO Shinya JPN > 22
13. ELIAS Toni SPA > 15
14. VERMEULEN Chris AUS > 14
15. DE PUNIET Randy FRA > 11
16. DE ANGELIS Alex RSM > 7
17. GUINTOLI Sylvain FRA > 4
18. WEST Anthony AUS > 3

[Hazza]

There is an art to naming a thread.

And I aint got it.

[Dani Filth]

definitely

[Gerben24]

negative mode
How about 'Borefest United'. I hate this race. The track is just crap. It will probably rain, as it always does. There is no way they'll have as good of a round as we had in Monza last weekend. Why not move this round to Magny Cours. That is a little bit less boring...
/negative mode

[jhansen]

I had that thought as well Gerben. Magny Cours wouldn't be a bad track for GP. WSBK has put on some great shows there. What about Dijon? I know little about tracks in France. Other options?

But, Lemans has produced a few decent races in the past. Sete and Rossi comes to mind.

[Hazza]

That was like THE race.

I loved that.

Ummm... France? Where did they used to go? Paul Ricard?

[Pro Racer]

1 year on for Chris V c'mon do it again mate.

[Gerben24]

I remember a good 250 race back from the Biaggi, Waldman, etc era... Still for some reason I don't like this place.

Why not move the race to Spa Francorchamps? They speak French there. It has Franc in its name, which comes pretty close to France... .

The Belgium atmosphere is great. It is a great track, what more do we want?

[Gerben24]

So, should Lorenzo be allowed to race? He's quick on the bike, it is just that he so slow off the bike. I was told Lorenzo fell during the second practice session and he had to be carried off on a stretcher out the gravel trap, cause he could hardly walk. I haven't seen the accident, so I can't fully judge the situation just yet, but surely this isn't just dangerous for him, but also for the others and the marshalls!

[bestfit]

It may not be as bad as you think.

"Lorenzo, who will start the French Grand Prix seven points behind Pedrosa, was fourth fastest (+0.260secs) - but suffered a major scare just moments before the chequered flag was waved when the Spaniard, who fractured his ankles last time out in Shanghai, fell from his Fiat Yamaha at the exit of turn one.

Fortunately, the MotoGP rookie was able to hobble gingerly to his feet, without apparently suffering any further damage, before sitting on a stretcher and being carried out of the gravel trap."

Story Here

[bestfit]

Friday Free Practice Times (Combined)

1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 34.227 secs
2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 34.276 secs
3. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 34.287 secs
4. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 34.487 secs
5. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 34.630 secs
6. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 34.886 secs *
7. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 35.047 secs
8. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 35.073 secs
9. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 35.133 secs
10. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 35.239 secs
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 35.256 secs
12. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 35.378 secs
13. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 35.450 secs
14. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 35.678 secs
15. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 35.848 secs
16. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 35.877 secs
17. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 36.039 secs
18. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 36.414 secs

* time set in FP1

It seams Marco's new found form has deserted him again.

[Gerben24]

Originally Posted by bestfit

It may not be as bad as you think.

"Lorenzo, who will start the French Grand Prix seven points behind Pedrosa, was fourth fastest (+0.260secs) - but suffered a major scare just moments before the chequered flag was waved when the Spaniard, who fractured his ankles last time out in Shanghai, fell from his Fiat Yamaha at the exit of turn one.

Fortunately, the MotoGP rookie was able to hobble gingerly to his feet, without apparently suffering any further damage, before sitting on a stretcher and being carried out of the gravel trap."

Still sounds a bit dangerous, but I need to see it on tv.

This is one of the tracks out of the Vermeulen package is it? He's doing really well.

[bestfit]

MotoGP Qualifying Times

1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 32.647 secs
2. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 32.774 secs
3. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 32.994 secs
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 33.157 secs
5. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 33.269 secs
6. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 33.286 secs
7. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 33.396 secs
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.440 secs
9. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 33.628 secs
10. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 33.689 secs
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 33.707 secs
12. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 33.723 secs
13. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 34.077 secs
14. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 34.561 secs
15. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 34.670 secs
16. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 34.747 secs
17. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 35.081 secs
18. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 35.349 secs

**Lorenzo fell again in FP3 this morning with no aggravation to his injuries.

[Gerben24]

Originally Posted by bestfit

**Lorenzo fell again in FP3 this morning with no aggravation to his injuries.

And he went moto-crossing after turn one in the qualifying session. Scary stuff.

If it is dry tomorrow, nobody will probably be able to touch Pedrosa. He and Stoner are demon starters, so I expect them to lead after the first chicane. Rossi has not been as convincing as he was in China, so don't know what to expect from him.

If it rains. It will be Stoners GP, with probably Vermeulen close by.

[bestfit]

90% chance of rain apparently.

[gomick]

good effort by Vermeulen to be within a second of pole - here's hoping

ant west, bet you hope the rain buckets down - he really is struggling .... melandri obviously hasnt sorted out his problems either!

[Hazza]

What is up with this Edwards guy eh?

[ozrevhead]

I dont know why westy hasnt made more of a go of it TBH - everything seemed so proMising to start with

Wet races are good ones generally and It will help both Casey and Chris's cause

[gomick]

Originally Posted by Hazza

What is up with this Edwards guy eh?

blistering in qualifying again - my tip for the race, 9th, in a typical edwards moto gp ride

[BootsOntheSide]

'Edwards on pole' is quickly replacing 'cows lying down' as a forecaster of rain...

Crazy end to the 125 round - with only 5 laps to go it would have made far more sense to call a result, rather than suppressing the schedule and putting the riders through a lottery. The guys who made bad starts it the second start can especially feel aggrieved; the clutches shouldn't've needed to be used a second time. What exactly are the rules on this now? And it's disappointing that the BBCi commentators were so enthusiastic about the situation. The minute you compromise the riders to suit the fans is the minute you can justify Destruction Derby racing.

[Bleu]

di Meglio wins 125cc race on home soil. Very interesting one. 10 riders were in the leading group before race was stopped due to rain. Restart, di Meglio keeps cool and crosses the line first. Smith 2nd and Terol 3rd.

Talmacsi led the restart before crashing at the end of 3rd lap. So bad streak of events continues for him. His season seem to look very much similar as Thomas Lüthi's 2006 campaign. Maybe Gabor should have gone to 250cc already.

[Knowlesy]

Budge up lads, the master has returned to take his crown back.

[Born Racer]

I'd like to see that move Edwards put on Pedrosa again.

[Knowlesy]

Colin was great, and that was a nice move. Took advantage of Pedrosa dithering a bit on the greasy stuff. It's nice to see him having such a great year.

[chunder]

Class never fails to impress, the stuff with Nieto after the race was a simple touch of class and respect that I cant imagine many riders managing.

Can you imagine what will happen if and when Vale best Ago's record??

Thought Lorenzi rode heroically aswell, was quicker than Vale at some parts of the race and Vale seemed genuinely impressed in parc ferme!

Nice to see Colin finally manage to stay the pace and put one over Pedrosa, this kid is the quickect out there but just needs to be mroe aggressive to me it seems!