MotoGP Misano: Rossi Wins It, Stoner Bins It

Valentino Rossi equalled Giacomo Agostini's record of 68 wins in the top Grand Prix class as he led his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo home in the San Marino round of the MotoGP championship at Misano. Casey Stoner kept up his recent run of form by crashing out of the race while leading.

As he had done for the last few races, Casey Stoner had taken pole position easily on his Marlboro Ducati. The reigning world champion was in pain from an old injury to his left wrist, but this had no apparent effect except for a few winces in the pit garage. FIAT Yamaha team mates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo took the next two spots on the front row, proving that for the first time since Assen, there was nothing to choose between the Bridgestone and Michelin tyres. This immediately caused everybody to denounce the proposed one tyre rule, despite the fact that Michelin tyres were a joke in the previous three rounds.

When the red lights went out, Casey Stoner left the grid like a missile. Dani Pedrosa had his usual good start to snatch second place. Valentino Rossi was desperate to get at Stoner, but was bottled up behind the tiny Spaniard, and launched himself well out of the seat as he tried to exit a corner faster than the Repsol Honda. All the time, Stoner was ominously extending his lead.

Randy de Puniet had qualified brilliantly on the second row, but to the amazement of absolutely nobody, he was the first man to have a spectacular crash. As the field rounded the last corner, de Puniet's LCR Honda slammed him into the ground. He was able to stumble away, having had plenty of practise in the previous 30-odd crashes he has had this year. In two years, he still hasn't completed a single race lap at Misano, but at least he didn't take anybody with him this time...

Read the rest of my Misano MotoGP race report at MotorbikeSport.

WSBK: Silly Search for Bayliss Replacement

World Superbikes usually has a good silly season, but the search for the new Troy Bayliss just keeps getting sillier and sillier. The Aussie star leads the championship on his Xerox Ducati 1098F08, but has finally decided that he will retire at the end of the year.

The trouble with replacing Bayliss is that he's one of the best riders in the history of Superbike. Choosing between him and Ducati's other WSBK legend Carl Fogarty is largely a matter of whether you prefer laid-back Australians loved by all, or arrogant Englishmen who get up everyone's hooter. As riders, Bayliss and Foggy are World Superbike gods, with records that others can only dream of.

So it's not just a case of replacing a quick rider, it's a case of replacing a superhero. You can't replace a superhero with some guy who will probably win the odd race, you need to find somebody who will win championships. The team's number 2 rider is expected to be a young Italian who is quick but erratic. Michel Fabrizio currently fills that position and is almost certain to stay next year.

Let's look at the riders who have been linked with the number 1 Ducati ride for next year:

Shane "Shakey" Byrne
Currently winning the British Superbike series at a canter on a Ducati 1098, Shakey is experienced, with some MotoGP races under his belt on the atrocious Aprilia and Roberts-KTM machines. In the last couple of years in BSB on 4-cylinder Japanese bikes, he spent half his time crawling off the track with concussion (though the time that the front brake calliper fell off his Rizla Suzuki and he had to jump off the bike at 170mph wasn't his fault!) He just seems to click with Ducatis, having won the BSB title and a couple of races as a WSBK wildcard back in the day. He is head and shoulders above anyone else in BSB this year and looks like he was born to ride the 1098. On the downside, he doesn't know the WSBK tracks. In with a decent chance, and would be my choice to replace Bayliss.

Max Biaggi
This season, The Roman Emperor is riding a Ducati in WSBK for the 2nd-string Sterilgarda team, and he's not exactly setting the heather alight either. Ludicrously parted with Suzuki over wage issues despite almost winning the title last year. On the plus side, he's extremely quick when he feels like it and is a 4-time 250cc World Champion. On the downside, he keeps falling out with teams. And Ducati only ever win the WSBK title with British and Australian riders (Foggy, Bayliss, Hodgson, Toseland, Bayliss again) so an Italian won't be much use. Still, in with a good chance because it's an Italian team and he's Max Biaggi.

Chris Vermeulen
Having a hit and miss season with Suzuki in MotoGP, but seems to have staked his claim for another year at Suzuki (though there are rumours that he will have to take a pay cut). World Superbike, even the prestigious factory Ducati ride, would be a step down for Vermeulen, so he will almost certainly try to stay in MotoGP. As a former Ten Kate rider in WSBK and WSS, he knows most of the tracks. Would be an excellent choice if his MotoGP dreams all fall through, but it looks pretty unlikely.

Michel Fabrizio
There is a possibility that Fabrizio might be promoted to team leader alongside up and coming Italian Niccolo Canepa. So then there would be two erratic young Italians failing to win the WSBK title for Xerox Ducati. It is also said that Ducati want to get Canepa on the career-killing Alice Ducati MotoGP bike to groom him for the future. Fabrizio as number one Ducati in WSBK is unlikely, but with team politics being what they are, who knows?

Ben Spies
Getting pretty silly now. The Texan is the latest big name rider to be linked with Ducati, however his pay demands are truly ludicrous. He earns more than half the MotoGP paddock, and possibly more than anyone in WSBK. This is because he has won the truly worthless AMA Superbike title, where the wages are obscene and the racing is utterly non-existent. He doesn't want to take a pay cut just to race in some foreign race series, even though AMA Superbike is currently in the process of disappearing up its own crevice and re-emerging as 600cc SuperStock with bells on, which may kill off all the factory teams. Spies would be a fascinating choice for the ex-Bayliss ride, but there isn't a hope in hell of it happening unless he re-thinks his love of filthy lucre. Maybe he will show up in WSBK at some point, when AMA SBK is in tatters and all of the garage doors in MotoGP are firmly shut...

BSB: Haslam Has em Both at Cadwell

Leon Haslam carried on his run of form to take a double victory at Cadwell Park in the British Superbike championship.

Race 1
With the narrow Cadwell circuit requiring a MotoGP-style 3 by 3 grid, Tom Sykes started from pole position in front of Cal Crutchlow and Shane Byrne, with Leon Haslam relegated to the 2nd row. Sykes led into the first corner on his Rizla Suzuki, while Haslam's HM Plant Honda made a lightning start to slot in behind the young Yorkshireman. Cal Crutchlow headed the following pack, but soon slipped behind the two leaders as he suffered from tyre problems. Unfortunately, Karl Harris chucked his Yamaha at the hay bales again a few laps into the race, sustaining a painful, and painfully gross, injury to the little finger on his left hand.

Haslam is always quick around the scenic-but-dodgy Cadwell track, having several wins to his name, and he was glued to Sykes's rear wheel. Just after half distance, Sykes removed a tear-off from his visor on Park Straight, and that tiny distraction was all that Haslam needed to nip in front at Park Bend. With the two leaders still locked together, Haslam's team mate Crutchlow was struggling with his tyre issues and started to drop back. Both Airwaves Ducatis of Shakey Byrne and Leon Camier passed the ailing Honda, but Cal managed to keep Michael Rutter's NW200 Ducati behind him and hold 5th place to the line...

Read the rest of my review of Leon Haslam's Cadwell Park double at Motorbikesport.

MotoGP: Does Vale Have Casey's Number?

Valentino Rossi has won the last two MotoGP races, while Casey Stoner has fallen off in both, scoring a 2nd place and a DNF. Has Casey finally cracked under pressure from The Doctor?

At Laguna Seca, Casey Stoner was fastest in every session and expected to disappear into the wide blue yonder for one of his trademark tedious triumphs. But his arch-rival Valentino Rossi won the race using his knees and elbows. Stoner finally got flustered, missed his braking point, trundled off the track and ate some fine Californian gravel.

At Brno, Casey Stoner was fastest in every session and expected to disappear into the wide blue yonder for one of his trademark tedious triumphs. But his arch-rival Valentino Rossi won the race by hanging onto Stoner's pace, then suddenly banging in a fastest lap. Stoner finally got flustered, leant the bike over too far, flew off the track in a shower of sparks and ate some fine Czech gravel.

It was clear that the little Aussie was seriously flustered by the prospect of another bout of bumper cars with the Italian genius. He wanted to keep Rossi at arm's length. Instead, he got acquainted with the kitty litter.

This was the second time in as many races that the little Aussie had lost his amazing rapport with the Ducati and its Bridgestone tyres. Stoner hardly crashed at all on his way to the title last year, even in practise, even on test days. Now he's back to his 2006 form, when he spent more time in gravel traps than Ruben Xaus and Carlos Checa put together.

But why now? Why has he suddenly shown weakness? Because Valentino finally got close enough to race him properly. Show him the white line. Get close enough to make Casey think they would collide. Sure, they raced close once last year, but Casey won that battle.

It didn't help that after the Laguna Seca race, Stoner was whinging louder than an Australian who's just seen how far they are behind Great Britain in the Olympic medal table. Rossi smelled blood. He smelled Biaggi. Whining is a weakness. It means your opponent has ruffled your feathers. It would have been far better if Casey had buried his rage, shrugged off the pain and said "Two can play at that game!" but he didn't.

Rossi knows that if he elbows Stoner out to the edge of the track, he will get angry and frustrated. Now he also knows that if he starts lopping several tenths out of a Stoner lead, the young Aussie might push too far and fall off. The same as Biaggi used to. The same as Gibernau used to. The Doctor has done his fair share of whining too, but he doesn't get flustered and fall off twice in a row.

With Valentino holding a 50 point lead over Stoner, the rest of the season will be very interesting...