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/1542356
Briefly.., record for the fine 3.31-mile track, designed by Herman Tilke to replicate several famous corners from other cir- cuits - including the Sao Paolo Esses, Suzuka's Spoon Curve, and Spa's daunting Eau Rouge. The last is the fastest corner of the year, a blinding right-hander taken at more than 160 mph - tlat out in fifrh 8ear. lYelandri was ebullient. He won his first GP here last year, and went on ro win the next one also in Valencia. "l love this place," he said. "l felt quite conlident in my bike, my tires and my feeling, but not so confident for the race. ldidn't think that lcould win, staning from the fifth row of the grid [wet prac- ti€e had left him strugglingl. I decided just to have fun and do my best, like a Playstation game. I got a really good staft, but with a full tank and some small prob- lems with braking, I decided to sray quiet at first. When Casey [Stoner] and Dani fPedrosa] came past, they were really fast, so again I stayed quiet and took a breather. And then came back to win." Victory came after Pedrosa slid off at the start of the final lap, lyinS third at the time, and a heroic run through the fast- comer let lYelandri get alongside Stoner into the final-corner set, and stealthe line. But Melandri was full of praise for his rookie challengers. "lt is the first time I have raced so hard, but everyone stayed inside the limit. Everyone rode really well." And he cred- ited Kevin Schwana for some helpful advice last year. "He told me that if you are not happy with the bike, then think only about the championship, But if you are happy, then go for a win. So thank you, Kevin." lf Stoner was disappointed at missing his first win, he didn't let it show. "l had crashed twice in practice in the corner where Marco passed me, so I did- n't want to take a big risk there. I've had a lot of criticism in the past for being a crasher, Now I have a good bike that is fully competitive, and I can prove to tfem what I can do. And to myself," Stoner was also keen to contradict the common view, that he had dropped back in Qatar only because his tires had started to slide. "The problem there was my physical condition. Sliding doesn't worry me," he said. Hayden missed the chance of winning. losing touch in the closinE stages, and nearly losing third to Rossi after running wide into the last corners on his final lap. It was the American's seventh podium in succession. He had an unusual problem in the race. "On the grid, one of my tire warmers melted onto one ofthe front brake discs," Hayden explained. "l neady pulled in to change bikes, and it felt sloppy on the brakes all race." He also praised his rivals. "Everyone was ridinS hard and super- aggressive, but there were no bonehead moves." But he wasn't satisfied with his slender points lead. "l have to win races if I'm going to be a threat for the World Championship," he said. Rossi's race was flawed, but mar- velous, Remembering Jerez, when he was knocked off at the first corner under the wheels of the pack, he had been over- cautious into the first corner, losing sever- al places by stayinS on the inside. Then on At the end ofqualif/ing, both Kawasaki rid ers had to walk back to the pits. Had there been a double blow-up for the green teahl Not exacdy. Bad visibility in the spray on the pit straight mennr that Shinya Nekano and Randy de Puniet had missed their "lN" si8nals from the pit, and had run out of 8as out on drc circuit. Photographars at lstaflbul were much relieved wh€fi an unexpected order ban- ning them ,rom their u$al trackide v-dn- ta€e points was promptly withdrawn after Dorna interceded on their behalf. The instruction came from the track owners, reacting to a recent aacident at a Turkish drag race, where an out-of-aontrol car had killed two marshals, ln Fl racing, phototra- phers are obliSed to stand behind the full safet, fence - and lstanbul is one ofthe tr-acks shared with F I , so this fence is in place. ln Motoce photoSraphers are allowed to work in front of the fence, althouth behind dte crash barrier. This is considered reasonable, because ofthe dif- ferent nature oI bike and car cr:shes. The decision was welcomed - because if the F I rule had been applied here, it might be applied also at other shared tracks, like Cat lunfa and Sepang. Those who see Ar-rstraiian rider Anthony West as a wasted talent had their views confirmed on the wet second day of prec- tice at lstanbul. The level of West's pdvateer Aprilia put him l2th overall, and lSth on rop speed, almost 6-mph down on the 239.8km of the fastest, Alex de AnSelis' facrory April- ia. But when the rains came on Saturday, West was untouchable. riding past his rivals as if they were standint still. By the end of the timed afternoon sesrion, West was fully two seconds clear of de Angelis. Nicky H.yden's extra hou6 in the wet at Valencia and S€pang winter tects - splash- ing on and on whlle everybody else went back to the hotel - had a good result. He was not just hstert Honda rider in the wet at lstanbul Park, but also faltest Michelin runner and within an aae ofreclaimint pole position at the end of sessioo when he lan offat the final comers, "l always used to use the excuse that in America we never raced in the wet - we'd race on Monday instead. In the winte[ we really worked on it - iust a lot of lap6, workinS with softer settings, and Settins experience. Today in the rain I w"as having fun, wi$ the bike movint around. Some of the hard work over the winter is paying off." Hayden had been faste$ in lhe dD/ (he day before, bur when asked at the front-row press confer- ence if he would prefer a wet or dry mce, he gave a matter-of-fact reply. "lt don't matter what I want - unless you're Santa or somethinS." Mystery surrounded reports of new pa.ts from HRC forNicky Hayden. Two different membeB of HRC's imposingly larte pr€ss corps said tiat new parts had affiv€d for the American's lone full-fa.tory RC2 I I V but that he would only be testing them on Mon- day. There had been some delay following a Coniinued on page 27 (Above) At rlte ffnish it wos ilelondri bcstinE Stoner for his ftrst win of the teoson. (Leh) ln whor wos o firilling MotoGP, Nicky Hoyden (69), Corey Stonet (27J,, lrtorco Melondri (33) ond Doni Pedroro (26) rwopped the leod bock ond forth 5or rhe durqlion. CYCLE NEWS . MAY r0,2006 23 ,l \ / I t I TI \ I rl r. I 7 7