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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VOL. 51 ISSUE 25 JUNE 24, 2014 P71 is to get your bike working bet- ter than the last time you were there." All the old-timers agreed on one thing: that something has been lost from racing. The combination of ingredients that a rider needs has a differ- ent balance. Sheer bravery is less important, believes Par- rish, because safer and par- ticularly slower modern tracks put more emphasis on riding technique. "We talk about the knife- edge, and it is still pretty sharp, because you can easily paralyze yourself or get hit by a bike. But the chances are pret- ty slim now. We used to have to have skill, ability and brav- ery, and I think you can take a large percentage of bravery out of it now." Not surprisingly, modern riders don't necessarily agree. Dani Pedrosa: "I think the brav- ery they had was because they were racing with s*&t – the material of the leathers, the helmets, the bikes, the tires and the brakes. And the race- tracks. That's where the brav- ery was. "Now we have so much safety, but – it might look like you don't need that bravery because you don't ride against the wall or whatever. But still you have to go there, and when you ride at the limit, at the very limit, you need everything." Jorge Lorenzo concurs. "Now a rider must be fast in all corners, fast or slow. You must be complete." All agree something has been lost. Rossi: "Faster rid- ers prefer the faster tracks. It is a dream to race especially at Spa. I love the circuit but unfor- tunately it is too dangerous for MotoGP. For me the safety of the riders is more important." And for Pedrosa, who never had the chance to try the re- ally fast tracks, the loss of the old Assen remains a wound. "Of course a track like Spa and like Hockenheim – for the speed and the adrenalin it is much higher. It is much more the spirit of racing. "Assen is the track – every- one calls it the Cathedral. And it was. It was surreal – the cor- ners, the layout. Then in 2006 they cut it completely, and for the guys in the grandstand they can see much more. For me, when they did this, I was in the safety commission and I was like – you guys are crazy." The lost first section of As- sen remains the Spanish multi- GP winner's favorite stretch of track, anywhere. Safety remains paramount, and multi-race winner of the dangerous age Mamola is glad of it. "I'm proud that I raced at that time – not that I feel I'm a hero. "Spa would be a frickin' awesome circuit now, but we'd have to move the guard- rail a long way. Knowing what I know now, and with my son racing, I would choose safety over character. This is what I fought for, what we boycotted races for, what turned into IRTA and the Safety Commission. Things that are still going on today." CN Of the modern circuits, Phillip Island in Australia still ranks at the top in terms of average speed. FAST DATA FASTEST EVER LAP: 138.169 mph Spa Francorchamps, Belgium Johnny Cecotto (Yamaha), pole position, 1978 FASTEST EVER RACE: 135.067 mph Spa Francorchamps, Belgium Barry Sheene (Suzuki), 500cc GP, 1977 TOP THREE ALL-TIME CIRCUIT SPEEDS 1 – Spa Francorchamps, Belgium 138.169 mph 2 – Hockenheimring, Germany 128.121 mph 3 - Salzburgring, Austria 121.929 mph TOP THREE MODERN CIRCUIT SPEEDS 1 – Phillip Island, Australia 110.057 mph 2 – Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina 110.057 mph 3 – Mugello, Italy 109.490 mph