Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

PrevieW' MOTOGP PREVIEW Everyone probably thinks that Colin and Nicky have an advantage up there, and they do, for the first session. Those guys all get up to speed so quick. The two guys in the top two, Gibernau and Rossi, will obviously be there. I really think it'll come down to Colin and Nicky for the next spot, obViously. It's just a matter of which will work best around there. One of those guys would be top three. They're both my friends, so I'd hate to pick one over the other. The common thread there is you got Gibernau and Rossi. I think the only other guy that could throw it in there, who adapts to new tracks, is ~ Picking the U.S. GP Winner you could bet against Rossi. He's the safest bet. I'm sure he's the favorite by a long way. He's won almost every race this year. I think his bike will be good there. I would say he's the favorite, and then... hard to say. There's no real consistency after that this year. Of course, I'd like to see my brother in there. I'd like to see him at least get on the podium. Second would be good. It'll be like picking names out of a hat. Hopefully, Americans will have a little advantage. Pole Time: 1:23 I would think they'll '" faster. but we'll see. I Honesdy, I have no idee. I how they vary from Superbike. eN going to the front. So I don't think it'll change. You never know. There's a lot of good riders over there. Right now, those two are the boys to beat. Pole nme: 1:21.3 I'd say 23 flat. It's two second because the track's not so they're not going to power. I also think they·... a good Michelin qualitlel'l final answer. [Man;Q! wrInIdt Pole I would suspect maybe low-n. have... I lust don't they're going to be able to b I just don't think Laguna's the best place for that race. Laguna's awesome, it's unbelievable, but I think once you've seen a MotoGP race, it's hard to imagine them at Laguna. Acceleration, with all the electronics they have, they mtaht be able to get up to that speed a lot qUIdIiIn ltl8' hills are going to SMIll IiIl$ ~ those bikes, too. It's going to bit esting race. I don't think Roai will be pole. I don't think pole ~Iy c0ncerns him all the time. I think when he knows he's got a good setup and a good bike, he's always going to get pole. I've seen him, and those guys have all seen him, win from fifth or sixth on the grid. ROGER LEE HAYDEN Team Kawasaki I. Hayden 2. Rossi 3. Gibemau Top three, I'd say Nicky, Valentino and Sete. I think they'll be there. You watch every race the last two years, and those guys - Valentino and Sete - are tne ones Wha~ BEN SPIES Yoshimura Suzuki I. Rossi 2. Edwards track. I'd like to see an American up front. I really want to see Colin up there. It seems like he's kind of had a struggle with that track in the past. It's hard to bet against Rossi. I'd have to say, just going on figures, I'd have to say Rossi, Colin and Gibernau. Obviously, I want to see Colin win the most. Pole Time: 1:23.0 Whatever a Superbike does around there, I:2S, they'll probably do 23s. Whatever we do, I'd say no more than two seconds faster. They just can't use the power. Even though I know they handle better, that track's kind of tight. We'll see. It'll be interesting. I'm definitely not going to get into a lap-time battle with them. TOMMY HAYDEN Team Kawasaki I. Rossi 2. Hayden 3. ??? I don't see how if you had to put money 40 JULY 6,2005 • CYCLE NEWS I:olin Think!i Of the four Americans in MotoGp, Gauloises Yamaha's Colin Edwards was the only rider I asked to predict the podium. "I'd say, me, my teammate [Rossi] and Biaggi - I'll stick with that." the straighttalking Texan said. "I think he's [Rossi] a smart guy. There's not much that gets by him. I think he'll play it smart and try to get behind somebody who knows the place. "The first time I went to Laguna, I had no idea where the hell I was going," he continued. "It wasn't until I got behind Kenny [Roberts Jr.] or Rich Oliver or one of those guys on 250s that I kind of understood, 'Okay, now I see what you're doing.' Every time I'm going, I'm still learning new tricks to it. It's just experience means a lot at that track." In predicting a pole time, Edwards remembers how fast the World Superbikes went in 2002, the year he won his only race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Now, he says. "We've got more power and lighter weight, but can you use it around . Laguna? I don't see any reason why 23.0 is out of the question. I mean. it might go lower, but 23.0 would probably be a good place to start." As for who will be on the pole, Edwards said, "I think I'll go out on a limb and say myself and Nicky and Biaggi. Biaggi's been there before. It's a corner-speed type track. I don't know, I'd love to see him [Rossi] on the front row with me. But those who've been around laguna. it's possible they'll be there." Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden thinks pole time will be a I:23 flat. "That's two seconds," he said. "Two seconds around Laguna is a lot. There's no straightaways at Laguna [and it will depend on the surface]. The last time I was there, it was starting to get bumpy." Suzuki's John Hopkins went from 19s and 20s to not venturing a guess. The 19s and 20s were based on a comparison to World Superbike "how it is now," he says, "but World Superbike are on crap tires. I mean, it's hard to say because you've got Dpnington, where the British Superbikes go to Donington and they can run within the same second of our qualifying time. They've run at 32s and qualified in the 32s in British Superbike. It's hard to say. I'll say 23s, maybe. I guess I can't call anything until I get there. It's been awhile since I've been there."

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