P130
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
A
RACE
OF
ATTRITION
It's still early in
the season, but
with several major
contenders having
suffered sundry
stoppages that have
left them in the
hospital, it's likely
that consistency
will be as important
as speed in the
long run.
D
oes anybody want to win the final 1000cc
MotoGP Championship? Flippancy aside,
you might be left wondering after a catalog
of misfortune has struck several of the leading
contenders, with no sign of stopping.
It's still early in the equal-longest-ever season,
of course. But with several major contenders hav
-
ing suffered sundry stoppages that have left them
either
in the hospital or haunting the hyperbaric
recovery chambers, it's likely that consistency will
be as important as speed in the long run, heading
into the final round in Valencia in November.
The roll call is rather depressing.
For Marc Marquez, everybody's favorite to
retain the title, it began even before the end of last
season. The crash in Indonesia, just after securing
the crown in Japan, not only made him miss the
final races but also required yet more surgery on
his right shoulder.
