Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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CN III IN THE PADDOCK P100 BY MICHAEL SCOTT THE MOTOGP AWARDS CEREMONY T he 2013 season was vintage – even if the title tension was the result of force majeure: the incomprehensible blunder of Marc Marquez's factory Honda team failing to count to 10 in Australia, in extraordinary circumstances caused by Bridgestone's tire blunder. Yet it provided a fitting climax, and helped make the memorable truly unforgettable. MEN OF THE YEAR Marquez won six races, was never lower than third. He also had 15 crashes (only one in a race), and kept bouncing back. He had luck as well as talent on his side. And what talent. The first rookie World Champion since Kenny Roberts in 1978 and the youngest in history. He's only going to get better. Joint winner: Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo. He only crashed three times, but twice broke his collarbone. His fight back to revive his title defense – on a bike generally not quite up to the Hondas – was awe-inspiring. LOSER OF THE YEAR Not even the luckless Ben Spies could break Dani Pedrosa's stranglehold on this one. The nature of his misfortunes this year added an extra dimension. Fragile Pedrosa had already broken his collarbone, but his own brave fight back was cut short by a true 21st-century troll: a minor brush from behind by Marquez disabled his traction control, and triggered a crash that was his final ruin. Pedrosa looked relieved when the year was over. demanding. By then, he'd fulfilled his factory ambitions signing with Ducati. For two years. A prospect MUST TRY HARDER Actually, that's not fair. There was to sober the most exuberant rider. nothing wrong with the level of Valentino Rossi's effort in his return to DOLDRUM DIRECTOR Yamaha. But it wasn't in the right The other loser of the year was direction. Maybe he's too old to Bernhard Gobmeier, the German adapt his riding technique to the brought in to oversee the rehacurrent spec-tire/economy-run bilitation of Audi's new property MotoGP landscape, but to direct Ducati. Whether his program was his frustration at long-time crew at fault or whether he was underchief Jerry Burgess, unceremoni- mined by the labyrinthine politics ously dismissed directly after the and prejudices at Ducati, it was a last race, smacks of desperation. manifest failure. Finishing eighth If it makes the difference, howev- was a good day. er, the world of racing will rejoice. MOST FUN ON WHEELS Hmmmm. In its second year, Moto3 grew up into something spectacular. It TEN OUT OF TEN FOR EFFORT also moved far from Dorna's aim Satellite rider Cal Crutchlow of a low-cost entry class, as KTM couldn't have tried harder, with funded a factory effort to domifour rostrums in five races, though nate. Next year Honda will fight ironically the results tailed off after back, Mahindra likewise. Should he got factory upgrades he'd been be even better.