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/1542394
I I A I Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden maintained his sPot at the top of the BMW M Award- lYotoGP 2005 Best Qualifier stendirys, despite qualifyint fifth in China. His com- bined qualirying times, aor the lirst four rice6 and the MotoGP official test session in CaElunfa ir 1.463 better than rhe aggregate tirne of Camel Yamaha's Colin Edwards. Edwards, who won a Bl',tW at the Cataluq,a tect, wesn't worried. "l already got a BMW he said- "l don't need it." The next tlvo are a surp.ise: Chris Vermeulen and John Hop- kins. with \tlentino Rossi in fifth at a deficit ot 5.091 seconds to Hayden. Litde known facf the yountest-ever rider to finish on a premier class podiltft is Rard, M.mola. The five-time 50occ Wbrld Cham- pionship n nner-up was l9 years, 26O days old when he linished ll s€conds behind Dutchman Boet van Dulm€n and ahead o{ Barry Sheene aboad his Suzuki at lmatra, Finland in 1979. The sixth-place finisher in that race was Kenny Robens. By finishing second in the Turkish Grand P.ix, Australian Casey Stoner became the seventh youngest to finish on a premier-clasr podium. The aur- rent influx of youth in $e premier cbs,r har- nt rnade a dent in the yo{.lngest premier- class podium. The honor go€s to Sheene, Johnny Cecotto, and Marco Lucchinelli, who ayerage 22 Fars, 29 week when rhe filled the box at Le Hafls in 1976. Alex Criville, .lohn Kocinski, and Alex Barros were l0 weeks older on the podium of the I 992 Dutch TT Next were Melandri, Stoner, and Hayden at the Turkish Grrnd Prix. More fun facts: J.lelandri's wln in Turkey was the l2th in a row by an ltalian rider dat- in8 back to last year. Ros,ri has six, Meland.i three, and Loris Capirossithree. The ltalians have a ways to go to match the longest national streak ev€r. Be8inning at the San l4arino Grand Prix in 1982 and ending in the linal race ofthe 1985 season, 4gain at San Marino, th€ quartet ofFreddie Spencer (13), Kenn), Roberts (6), Eddie Lawson (5), and Randy t4amola (4) won 28 500cc GPs in a row. Next best is Giacomo ASostini (20) and Alberto Pagani (l) who won 2l in a row for llaly in 1968 and '69. leremy Burgess. Valentino Rossi's .rew chief, slrowed up in Shanghai witfi an impre6- sive shiner under his right eye. 'After the i&e in Turkey, I give him," Ro55i ,oked. "He say he has some problem widl the house, beaause he makes alweys a lot of work. I dont know what happ€ned, because is like a punch." The deep purple bruise wasnt the result of an aagument. but a disatreement with a fence gate. Burgess was trying to open a gate ofl his properq/, which is outside of Adehide, Australia, in a rainstorm, when the gate swun8 back, hitting him the eye. The iniurie6 were purely superlicial and gurtesr was lucky for it. fue GibedEu sp€nt last year riding a Honda on Michelim. This year he's on a Ducati with Bridgertones. "Realt k's a whole different story" he said. "Horda is much... you rteer it a lot more with fl6 rear, where with the Ducati it's moae of a ,ront Continued on p.jge 2t I E{ ! ta, t Briefly... t I }' t a t .p'. - 4^ ,.-94.. .. t, _.- T - \ \ I , G a Colin Edwqrdr (5) gor the iump on rha ficld from hir frord.row 5tqrtine position to leod rhe Chinere MotoGP, Fellow Americsn John Hopkins slot. red in behind Edwordr ond those two would circulote togetherlor the moiority of the ro.e in o bottle for whot would bc rl rd ploce. p, i /' t. . Doni Pedreiq (26) withslood the roce-long pressure of Nicky Hqyden (69) to win the first [lotocP of his t/osn1g coreer. ,lt o a I D T I a I } L o I U a It N G Ei fr T s 1 /1, ,m S. MAY 24,2006 19 t! \ : \ \ t a 7 -1 .i .l ( I \ \ \ -a I \ \ L--- L L. \_l iqt. L. .a N .l^ s- crclt NE