Hayden est prévenu ....

[theophil]

VALENTINO ROSSI: STRONG FROM THE START
Following on from his remarkable victory in Germany, Valentino Rossi is looking forward to his second visit to California thanks to an enjoyable and promising Laguna Seca debut one year ago. The reigning MotoGP World Champion was the first non-American rider across the line as he took third place in his first ever USGP but this year he doesn’t plan to have anybody in front of him at all as he looks to sign off for the summer with another maximum points haul.

“Even though I didn’t know the track last year I was able to follow Nicky for many laps and then Colin too, so I learnt a lot from both of them,” explains Rossi. “By the end of the race I was getting stronger and I actually set my best time on the last lap so I hope that this year we can be strong from the start and this time beat the Americans! We had some difficulties with the bike in Germany and we don't have time to make many big changes before this weekend, but hopefully the good setting we found for the race on Sunday and the data we have from last year will be enough.

“The latest modifications to the track will make a difference and we will see how they are when we get there. After last year we discussed everything with the Safety Commission and we made some more suggestions to improve the track, because really it was not at the level of the rest of the championship. It’s okay for Superbikes but we are coming into the corners 40km faster, so it was necessary to make some more changes, especially at turn one. Now we have to wait to see if it is better and safer this year.”

COLIN EDWARDS: VICTORY STILL THE TARGET
Colin Edwards is approaching the second home Grand Prix of his career with his focus completely set on taking victory, despite his set-up troubles with the YZR-M1 in Germany. After finishing second to Nicky Hayden in Laguna last year and battling with the same rider for victory at Assen in Holland earlier this season - only to lose out in the final corner – conceding ground to his compatriot is a scenario the Texan does not plan on repeating as the pair tussle for home glory this time around.

“Before Sachsenring I said that I am not hoping to win at Laguna Seca, I am expecting to win, and that remains the case,” affirms Edwards, who will be in Los Angeles on Tuesday to take part in a MotoGP bike parade along Hollywood Boulevard before attending the screening of the new MotoGP movie ‘The Doctor, The Tornado and The Kentucky Kid’, in which he stars.

“We had our problems in Germany but we also had problems at Catalunya earlier in the season and seven days later I was fighting to win at Assen. It seems the bike that we have works at some circuits and not so well at others so, like Assen, Laguna will be a bit of a shot in the dark. One thing for sure is that I’m going to fight and barge and do whatever it takes to win. If it comes down to a scrap between the Americans, Hayden and I, then I know I can come out on top this time. Hopefully the bike will work as well as it did at Assen and if it does than I definitely won’t make the same mistakes.”

DAVID BRIVIO
“We know that Nicky Hayden is fast at this circuit but this is the challenge. We are all in racing because we enjoy the battle and on the evidence of what we saw last year I think both our riders can be up there giving Nicky a hard time this Sunday. We’re going there with great confidence after Valentino’s win in Germany and I think Laguna comes at the perfect time for Colin, who needs to get back on the podium. It is only a few days but for him and for us the race can’t come soon enough.”

DANIEL ROMAGNOLI
“Actually Laguna was not as technical as we thought it might be when we visited for the first time last year,” explains Daniele Romagnoli, Chief Engineer for Colin Edwards. “It is a special circuit because there are almost no straights so there is no need to use the full gear range or the maximum power of the bike. Power delivery is much more important than top-end power and it must be smooth and easy for the rider to manage. At the same time the circuit is very ‘up and down’ so the chassis is important because the bike needs to keep turning in several different conditions. You need good traction when the bike is leaned over – especially at the end of the main straight when the bike is at an angle at high speed and in the Corkscrew. The Corkscrew also requires stable suspension and good performance under braking because, as we saw with Colin last year, it is a place he likes to overtake.

“Honestly it was quite easy to find a good set-up for Colin last year. His experience at the circuit meant that we already had some good information for the gear and suspension settings before we arrived. This time things are a little different because, even though we can dial in the same settings on the bike, the tyres have changed a lot from last year so we will need to work on something new to adapt the chassis and the suspension. We had a difficult weekend finding the right setting in Germany but Colin will not let this affect him and we will come out fighting like we did at Assen.”

j'ai la flemme de traduire ... si y'a des volontaires ....

[Stoner27]

Sur que Rossi va mettre encore plus la pression sur Hayden.
Il avait l'avantage l'année passée d'ête un des seuls à connaitre le circuit.
Cette année, à part les nouveaux venus de la 250, il perd cet avantage.

Si Edwards réussi à régler sa Yam correctement, il jouera la gagne certainement.

Ce grand prix pourrait être un tournant majeur de la saison. Si Rossi gagne, ou fini devant Hayden, je crois que l'Américain ne s'en remettrait pas...

En tout cas, du gros spectacle nous attend! (Commme d'habitude en fait)

[theophil]

"By the end of the race I was getting stronger and I actually set my best time on the last lap"
Et comme le dit Rossi en fin de course il était plus rapide que Hayden et il a fait son meilleur tour sur le dernier tour.
Pour mémoire Rossi a fini a 2,3s de hayden et Edwards a 1,9s.
Donc il sait que s'il fait un bon départ et enchaine rapidement des bons tours, la victoire est possible .... Et on sait aussi que Rossi est le roi de l'intox avant les courses ... du style 'ca va pas terrible' et hop il gagne ... et 'je le sens bien' et il galère un peu (bon qd rossi galère ca n'a rien a voir avec Depuniet qui galère !! lol)

[FracK]

De toute façon maintenant tous les pilotes (sauf les rookies) connaissent le tracé pour y avoir couru aumoins une fois!

Ca va pas mal changer la donne

[Andy]

ce week end j'ai pas pu voir la coure quel dommage !!!!
personellement hayden est un bon pilote mais qui sucombe a la pression , oui il a déja terminé 1ER mais il na pas battu valé
psychologiquement valé est vraiment tres fort hayden gere bien son championnat tant bien que mal , si il est à cete place c'est plutot que les autre pilotes on eu des souci voila tout
il vont allé au states ce week end
je pense qu'il sera tres fort car veut montré qu'il est bien le leader du motogp de toute façon 26 points les sépares donc a nous fait une 2eme partie de saison intéressente

[Pacot]

je pense qu'il ne faut pas voir hayden battu tout de suite il a quand même 26 point d'avance et si il gére bien les course a venir se serat surement le rival de rossi pour le championnat donc avec ce résonnement je ne crois pas que si il est deuxiéme il ira tout faire pour gagner ce n'est pas comme a assen ou ses principaux rivaux etait long derriére ou out
Là à laguna seca et les autres circuits a venir rossi est en pleine forme donc la meilleur choses a faire pour hayden est de gerer son championnat et non pas de risquer la chute pas son grand prix nationnal car là au revoir le champ
Et rossi ferrait bien de se mefiait de pedrosa qui pour moi ne va pas mettre 3 semaines pour s'abituer a laguna seca et aussi hayden est son coéquipier donc il va lui donner quelque ficelle sur le tracé.

[jenny46]

EDIT DE FENNEK: Le message qui suit sera effacé s'il n'est pas modifié et tapé normalement et pas en SMS.
Merci !

rossi n'a pa encore perdu le championa certe hayden é devan mai il na jamai montré autan de conviction que rossi.ce serai bien kil y ai une bataille entre rossi et hayden pour changer un peu car rossi est vraimen for il ya pa bocou de monde ki é capable de rivalisé hayden doi faire tré atention a la chute c vrai mai c pa un pilote ki tombe souven kan meme je pense que rossi devra etre a fon jusq'a la fin du championa

[flo de h]

il manque des touches a ton clavier?

[jenny46]

EDIT DE FENNEK: Jenny46, essaie s'il te plaît de bien vouloir taper plus doucement et sans SMS. Merci de bien vouloir éditer tes messages sinon ils seront effacés.

pourkoi tarive pa a lire ou koi ca va + vite kome ca

[flo de h]

J'arrive a lire, après dire que c'est agreable nous sommes loin du compte.
C'est un forum ici, pas une discussion avec tes copines a grands coups de SMS...