Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 10, 2015 P111 It did look a bit that way from at least one of the TV angles. But how can it be proved that Marquez didn't give the lever a squeeze on his own account? This column is always in danger of being overtaken by events. Never more so than now. Written necessarily in advance of the Valencia show- down, we can only imagine what might take place there. Not on the track: but that's almost a side issue in the saga that Valentino introduced, much to the surprise of all, in the press conference on the eve of the Malaysian GP. Marquez was childish and dishonest, hiding behind a bland smile, said Rossi. He'd been playing a grudge match the week before in Australia, trying to help Lorenzo. This was revenge for two races this year, Argentina and Assen, where they physically clashed and the young stripling came off second best, and to make Rossi's total of titles an easier target for the future. This was a bit abstruse. I mean, hadn't Marquez beaten Lorenzo? Robbed him of five points? Iannone also beat Rossi in Australia, and Pedrosa the race before at Aragon. Why not attack them? Was the GOAT losing his grip? But if Marquez hadn't held him up there, it was obvious from the start that he was definitely going to from now on. Rossi had asked for it. In public. We all know what happened. They fought bitterly. Nine over- takes in one lap alone. Then Rossi slowed like a peevish teen Red Bull Rookie to force Marquez out to the edge, shooting him a couple of death stares over his shoulder as he did so. Marquez, as we know, is no stranger to running right into his rivals. They hit, Marquez fell, and then the fun started. Marquez accused, Rossi denied, Race Direction said both were guilty of bad sports- manship but that only Rossi had actually broken the rules, causing danger to another rider. Three points, and thus a potentially (no, actually "prob- ably") ruinous back-of-the-grid start for Valencia. Some thought Rossi's pen- alty was too lenient for such a cynical action. Some thought it overly harsh. There was no doubt about one thing. His halo had slipped. From GOAT to goat in one easy move. There followed a flurry of earnestly worded open letters from sundry luminaries, deplor- ing the poor sportsmanship of both. And a clever tactical move from Rossi, with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and applying for the pen- alty to be suspended until their judgement, which could take three months or more. The most telling of all, how- ever, was the weight of public reaction in support of Rossi. In Italy, of course. But elsewhere as well. An unfortunately badly argued but heartfelt petition to have his penalty annulled was produced in Britain, translated into every known language and rapidly garnered something like half a million signatures. For this reason alone, and no matter what the final judgement (or who becomes champion), it is clear that after all is said and done it will be Rossi exuding a nostril-tickling odor of air fresh- ener, and Marquez coming out as the snivelling sneak. A bad omen for the future of MotoGP, a bit like backing the wrong horse, because what we are seeing is much bigger than a skirmish for champion- ship honors, and bigger than a personal rivalry. It is the beginning of the end of a legend; a fresh stage in hostilities which, all else remaining equal, can have just inevitable outcome. The time, so long deferred, when racing will have to do without Rossi. And it's going to hurt. CN

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