D
o giants shrink with age? Is
that how young giants can
scramble onto their shoul-
ders?
Put it another way, can Marc
Marquez (or even Valentino Ros-
si) be considered the Greatest Of
All Time? If so, what about those
GOATs who went before, who
never had his opportunities, or
indeed the opportunity to race
against him?
It may be irresistible to com-
pare ancient racing with modern;
ancient heroes with today's, but it
is invidious.
Take one example. Geoff
Duke was a landmark rider who
set new standards in several ar-
eas. He was a multi-champion
not only because of his super-
smooth riding style. Duke pio-
neered one-piece leathers after
watching fellow factory Norton
riders' cumbersome riding kit
flapping in the wind, adding drag
and costing speed. It was just the
most obvious example of a new
professionalism.
The first of Duke's four titles
came on a factory Manx Nor-
ton: a single-cylinder 500cc bike
eventually producing somewhere
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
ON THE SHOULDERS
OF GIANTS
P112
