P26
IN
THE
WIND
two-piece design for added freedom of movement while the inner portion
uses new rubber and material patterns for enhanced grip and feel from the
motorcycle.
The Fluid Knee Brace complements the Tech 10 by enhancing safety
when riding off-road. Available in two materials (carbon, $699.90/set and
fiberglass, $399.95/set) and two sizes (Small-Medium-Large and XL-XXL),
the brace can be further tailored to the rider's knee size with supplied ErgoFit spacers. The Italian-designed braces help stabilize the rider's knees
and prevent hyperextension of the legs. The Fluid uses a simple and effective quick-release strap system that keeps the braces in-place and keeps
them from sliding down during normal riding. Both products are on sale
now. For more information visit Alpinestars.com.
Adam Waheed
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
ROSSI'S QUALIFYING WOES
"I
t's unfair." The speaker was
Valentino Rossi, whose continuing problems in qualifying in
the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic put him on the third row of
the grid again and worst of the
Yamahas, although he had been
at the sharp end in free practice,
placed fourth on combined times.
Finding that ultimate fast lap
has been a bugbear all season
for Rossi. He has been on the
front row only once, and on the
third row for all but three other
races. His difficulty in finding that
ultimate fast lap is largely down
to his problems with the front tire
squashing under his very hard
braking – which is more aggressive than the other Yamaha riders.
But he also complained that
the concentrated 15 minutes
gave a distorted picture of true
racing potential.
A lot of riders were able to
improve on their normal practice position by taking "the right
slipstream," he said. "So it is
not only about the potential but
about being in the right place in
the right moment, to take a faster
lap from the guy in front."
This was a clear dig at second-fastest Alvaro Bautista, who
had benefited from following
Marc Marquez, and outranked
the factory rider in the process –
though Bautista pointed out that,
continued on page 28
