Maybe it's time to think not
about the rise of the new, but
the end of the old. The uncom-
fortable and sometimes even
devastating fate that awaits the
once dominant. A lesson in life—
the Ozymandias factor.
Oz of that salutary classic
poem about downfall and inevi-
tability: "Look On My Works, Ye
Mighty, And Despair."
Rea hasn't yet lost the Su-
perbike title, of course, but the
omens with one round left are
not good, the way his season
has gone. Too many uncharac-
teristic errors and non-finishes
alien to his usual stately prog-
ress, and a loss of composure
that has seen him appear
recently apparently close to
tears. Razgatlioglu's morale, by
contrast, is bubbling over.
This fate always awaits the
super-talented. In their prime,
it all comes easily. But when
the tide turns, instead of being
swept onwards and upwards by
exceptional talent, they become
hostage to it.
Too good to be beaten, too
human to win forever.
Thus, a historic parade of
greatness eclipsed. Geoff Duke
was finally undone by the fresher
and more adventurous riding
techniques of John Surtees.
Mike Hailwood escaped while
still on top, but Agostini was
undone by time and circum-
stances.
In a perverse way, it is almost
lucky to be taken out by force
majeure. Mick Doohan for one
never had to face the gradual
erosion of his superiority, the
W
e've seen and heard
plenty about the tide
of youth, the changing
of the guard, the new order in
racing, etc.
With good reason, and in all
three MotoGP classes, preco-
cious youth is rampant, new
names crowd the podiums, and
class rookies lead the tables in
both Moto2 and Moto3. And while
premier-class champion elect
Quartararo isn't exactly a begin-
ner, he is only in his third MotoGP
season, and he is only 22.
The same thing is true in
World Superbikes, where the
inevitably somewhat sterile
dominance of Jonathan Rea and
his Kawasaki is under serious
threat from young Turk Toprak
Razgatlioglu, 34 years old to just
turned 25.
P120
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
TOO GOOD
BUT TOO HUMAN
~
The
O
zymandias Factor
