VOL. 51 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 16, 2014 P103
It might be next to impossible for a rider
to genuinely compete for titles in today's
MotoGP landscape when held back by
any of the disadvantages associated with
learning the ropes at a later age. The rid-
ers who succeed now are the ones raised
in international competition from a tender
age, riding the Grand Prix tracks on feeder
equipment specifically designed to pre-
pare them for the next step as they rise up
through the ranks.
Ben Spies was blessed with natural ability
on par with the very best riders in the world.
But he struggled to adapt his production-
bike derived style to Grand Prix equipment
to the point where he could truly push for
the crown or even regular race wins. It's dif-
ficult to imagine an American rider following
that same career path doing much better
than the Texan managed, let alone toppling
Marc Marquez.
Additionally, there's the success feed-
Rolling starts
was one of
the many
unpopular
DMG additions
to the series
in 2008 and
fortunately
abandoned the
year after.
