Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1523461
VOLUME 61 ISSUE 26 JULY 2, 2024 P143 opposition, including Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi. Acosta hasn't quite matched that, but he's been pretty amazing all the same. He is running out of time to depose Marc from the "youngest-ever" crown—he must win either at Assen or in Germa - ny. But still, that first win can't be too far away. The quality in between is far from shabby. Some (though not everyone) rate Bagnaia up with the all-time greats. For me, he's just one of the all-time very goods, though I do understand the case is arguable. Jorge Martin shares that status, and likewise might yet improve on it. Of course, however, both are truly brilliant. There's more: the mercurial Vinales—an also-ran one week, unbeatable the next. Master- passer Brad Binder, for whom the mantra that overtaking is nowadays almost impossible has simply failed to register. The perennially underrated Enea Bastianini, whose late-race pace is often unmatchable. The sim- mering talent of Fabio Quar- tararo, hamstrung by Yamaha's malaise. This is not even to mention Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira and Marco Bezzecchi, all having something of an off year now, but all three of them past race- winners. As is Di Giannantonio. And Alex Rins. And Joan Mir… Then the ex-Moto2 stars, the no-relation Fernandez not-twins Raul and Augusto. Fascinatingly, next year sees a major shuffling of the pack: Vinales and Bastianini to KTM; Martin and Bezzecchi to Aprilia. And the dream (or it is night - mare) factory Duke pairing of Bagnaia and Marquez. Much of this realignment unthinkable a year ago. That's not all. Superbike superstar Toprak Razgatlioglu (crazy name, crazy guy) needs only to win the SBK title this year on the BMW to activate an escape clause in his contract, and is strongly rumored to be anxious (finally) to come to MotoGP. Given his stated aim of only joining a factory team, this might seem to steer him towards Honda, so that a year of learning the ropes could coin - cide with the Big H recapturing its missing mojo. But there are places coming available also at Pramac, now definitely switching to Yamaha, and possibly Aprilia too. The upshot? This year is pretty good so far, and looking entirely likely to get better. And next year will shove it into the shade. Probably. And yet … Call me old-fashioned, and you'd be right, because I go back a long way, to the time that some like to call the Golden Age, when the mad "unrideable" two- strokes held sway, and a small handful of so-called "aliens" were the only people able to ride them to the limit. Back then you pretty much knew that it would be one of three riders to win: from a roll-call over a decade or more including Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, the Waynes Rainey and Gardner, and Kevin Schwantz. And later just the one—Mick Doohan. There was the elite, and the also-rans. And nobody minded, even the mid-fielders, because it gave them something to aspire to. So which is better? A handful of gods, or a grid full of brawl - ers? Answers on a postcard, please. But don't bother to post it, because in the end, you just enjoy what you get. CN I go back a long way, to the time that some like to call the Golden Age, when the mad "unrideable" two-strokes held sway, and a small handful of so- called "aliens" were the only people able to ride them to the limit.