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/192336
VOL. 50 ISSUE 41 OCTOBER 15, 2013 through to disqualification or suspension. In recent history several of these have been applied, though nobody has been suspended for more than one race since Geoff Duke was hit with an exemplary punishment of six months suspension in 1955, effectively costing him a sixth world title. His crime was honorable, supporting a rider strike at the Dutch TT by hard-pressed privateers in the smaller classes, demanding more start money. Not until this year. At Silverstone, Spaniard Dani Rivas – busy arguing with another rider – caused a potentially horrendous crash when he piled into a bunch of his fellow Moto2 jockeys who had stopped at the end of the warm-up session for a practice start. Rivas plowed into the back of three riders, injuring himself quite badly and South African Steven Odendaal enough to put him out of the race. He was only at cruising speed, but it was a heinous offence, and he was handed a two-race suspension. A sign, most thought, of new-last-year race director Mike Webb showing some teeth. And if so, will he not do so again to Marquez? The superrookie's riding is not always borderline dangerous, but mainly because he often goes beyond the borderline. There is history on both sides. In 2011 in Australia Marquez did something even more reckless than Rivas: continuing at full racing speed after the end of a session, and plowing flat out into (and quite badly hurting) Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot. Previous race director Paul Butler's sanction was a back-row start the next day. Marquez finished third. The scale of difference between this and Rivas's much more serious punishment is vast. There may be a feeling in the new committee that justice was not done, and now is a chance to put it right. Any more serious penalty applied for the cutting of the cable would suggest this to be true. It'll have to be mighty severe, however, to make much of a dent in his own title chances. CN P125 LOOKING BACK 40 Years Ago October 16, 1973 An unlucky rider crashing at the TransAMA Motocross in Indiana was featured on the cover 40 years ago. Willie Bauer, however, kept it on two wheels and won… We tested the Kawasaki 400 Triple… Jim Fishback won the Check Chase Hare & Hound in Parker, Arizona. 30 Years Ago October 19, 1983 We pictured Top American Mike Melton from the ISDE in Wales on the cover. It was a wet and tough one, so it was no surprise that the Swedes dominated… Team Tamm riders Chris Heisser and Jeff Hicks topped the Trans-Cal Motocross round at Sandhill Ranch… Kelly Moran won the US National Speedway Championship at Costa Mesa. 20 Years Ago October 13, 1993 Ricky Graham in all his glory was pictured on the front page after winning the Pomona Half Mile... Scott Russell scored a big win at the Donington World Superbike... Mike Kiedrowski and Tim Ferry were the big winners at the AMA Fall Classic round at Englishtown, New Jersey… Scott Summers kept the GNCC title race alive with a win in West Virginia. 10 Years Ago October 8, 2003 Jeff Ward was featured on the cover for winning the Supermoto and Superbiker features at Del Mar… Ricky Carmichael won the A Final but Team Belgium came away with the overall victory at the Motocross of Nations in Zolder, Belgium… Max Biaggi won and Nicky Hayden finished third at the Pacific Grand Prix in Japan… Shane Watts won his first GNCC in nearly two years in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives