Surprised yo see a Duc so high at Le Mans

Le Mans, Friday, May 15, 2015

Pos.   Num.   Rider   Nation   Team   Bike   Km/h   Time   Gap 1st/Prev.
1   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   308.3   1'34.034   
2   93   Marc MARQUEZ   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   308.1   1'34.280   0.246 / 0.246
3   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   307.7   1'34.301   0.267 / 0.021
4   35   Cal CRUTCHLOW   GBR   CWM LCR Honda   Honda   306.9   1'34.310   0.276 / 0.009
5   44   Pol ESPARGARO   SPA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   306.0   1'34.331   0.297 / 0.021
6   45   Scott REDDING   GBR   EG 0,0 Marc VDS   Honda   303.1   1'34.472   0.438 / 0.141
7   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   301.8   1'34.570   0.536 / 0.098
8   68   Yonny HERNANDEZ   COL   Pramac Racing   Ducati   305.9   1'34.598   0.564 / 0.028
9   29   Andrea IANNONE   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   308.3   1'34.721   0.687 / 0.123
10   38   Bradley SMITH   GBR   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   307.9   1'34.729   0.695 / 0.008
11   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   Team SUZUKI ECSTAR   Suzuki   296.0   1'34.854   0.820 / 0.125
12   25   Maverick VIÃ'ALES   SPA   Team SUZUKI ECSTAR   Suzuki   301.0   1'35.254   1.220 / 0.400
13   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   303.0   1'35.348   1.314 / 0.094
14   6   Stefan BRADL   GER   Athinà Forward Racing   Yamaha Forward   299.0   1'35.367   1.333 / 0.019
15   69   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Aspar MotoGP Team   Honda   296.5   1'35.510   1.476 / 0.143
16   9   Danilo PETRUCCI   ITA   Pramac Racing   Ducati   297.5   1'35.617   1.583 / 0.107
17   17   Karel ABRAHAM   CZE   AB Motoracing   Honda   296.7   1'35.690   1.656 / 0.073
18   63   Mike DI MEGLIO   FRA   Avintia Racing   Ducati   303.9   1'35.697   1.663 / 0.007
19   19   Alvaro BAUTISTA   SPA   Aprilia Racing Team Gresini   Aprilia   297.7   1'35.800   1.766 / 0.103
20   15   Alex DE ANGELIS   RSM   Octo IodaRacing Team   ART   294.0   1'35.802   1.768 / 0.002
21   8   Hector BARBERA   SPA   Avintia Racing   Ducati   306.4   1'35.825   1.791 / 0.023
22   43   Jack MILLER   AUS   CWM LCR Honda   Honda   298.3   1'35.835   1.801 / 0.010
23   76   Loris BAZ   FRA   Athinà Forward Racing   Yamaha Forward   296.0   1'36.161   2.127 / 0.326
24   50   Eugene LAVERTY   IRL   Aspar MotoGP Team   Honda   296.4   1'36.607   2.573 / 0.446
25   33   Marco MELANDRI   ITA   Aprilia Racing Team Gresini   Aprilia   296.4   1'36.973   2.939 / 0.366

Why are you surprised? It has like 20 straights. The last 2 minutes of the session was great.

FP2:

1 38 Bradley Smith Yamaha 1'33.179     
2 99 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1'33.369 0.190 0.190
3 4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1'33.553 0.374 0.184
4 35 Cal Crutchlow Honda 1'33.652 0.473 0.099
5 93 Marc Marquez Honda 1'33.670 0.491 0.018
6 46 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1'33.686 0.507 0.016
7 26 Dani Pedrosa Honda 1'33.725 0.546 0.039
8 44 Pol Espargaro Yamaha 1'33.903 0.724 0.178
9 41 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki 1'33.944 0.765 0.041
10 68 Yonny Hernandez Ducati 1'33.953 0.774 0.009
11 29 Andrea Iannone Ducati 1'34.092 0.913 0.139
12 25 Maverick Viñales Suzuki 1'34.110 0.931 0.018
13 43 Jack Miller Honda 1'34.253 1.074 0.143
14 45 Scott Redding Honda 1'34.371 1.192 0.118
15 6 Stefan Bradl Yamaha Forward 1'34.543 1.364 0.172
16 9 Danilo Petrucci Ducati 1'34.568 1.389 0.025
17 69 Nicky Hayden Honda 1'34.663 1.484 0.095
18 8 Hector Barbera Ducati 1'34.745 1.566 0.082
19 76 Loris Baz Yamaha Forward 1'35.002 1.823 0.257
20 63 Mike Di Meglio Ducati 1'35.067 1.888 0.065
21 17 Karel Abraham Honda 1'35.090 1.911 0.023
22 19 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1'35.137 1.958 0.047
23 50 Eugene Laverty Honda 1'35.182 2.003 0.045
24 15 Alex De Angelis ART 1'35.938 2.759 0.756
25 33 Marco Melandri Aprilia 1'36.056 2.877 0.118

Smith at the top is surprising. Or is it? 

I think this is going to be a good race. 

FP3
Le Mans, Saturday, May 16, 2015
Pos.   Num.   Rider   Nation   Team   Bike   Km/h   Time   Gap 1st/Prev.
1   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   311.8   1'32.647   
2   29   Andrea IANNONE   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   316.6   1'33.018   0.371 / 0.371
3   35   Cal CRUTCHLOW   GBR   CWM LCR Honda   Honda   315.6   1'33.126   0.479 / 0.108
4   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   314.1   1'33.176   0.529 / 0.050
5   38   Bradley SMITH   GBR   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   311.7   1'33.502   0.855 / 0.326
6   93   Marc MARQUEZ   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   315.0   1'33.517   0.870 / 0.015
7   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   312.9   1'33.597   0.950 / 0.080
8   68   Yonny HERNANDEZ   COL   Pramac Racing   Ducati   307.7   1'33.646   0.999 / 0.049
9   44   Pol ESPARGARO   SPA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   311.1   1'33.694   1.047 / 0.048
10   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   308.3   1'33.782   1.135 / 0.088
11   25   Maverick VIÃ'ALES   SPA   Team SUZUKI ECSTAR   Suzuki   305.3   1'33.837   1.190 / 0.055
12   9   Danilo PETRUCCI   ITA   Pramac Racing   Ducati   308.4   1'34.057   1.410 / 0.220
13   45   Scott REDDING   GBR   EG 0,0 Marc VDS   Honda   308.0   1'34.097   1.450 / 0.040
14   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   Team SUZUKI ECSTAR   Suzuki   301.0   1'34.214   1.567 / 0.117
15   8   Hector BARBERA   SPA   Avintia Racing   Ducati   313.6   1'34.332   1.685 / 0.118
16   19   Alvaro BAUTISTA   SPA   Aprilia Racing Team Gresini   Aprilia   303.5   1'34.341   1.694 / 0.009
17   43   Jack MILLER   AUS   CWM LCR Honda   Honda   302.0   1'34.505   1.858 / 0.164
18   69   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Aspar MotoGP Team   Honda   301.9   1'34.604   1.957 / 0.099
19   6   Stefan BRADL   GER   Athinà Forward Racing   Yamaha Forward   306.5   1'34.759   2.112 / 0.155
20   76   Loris BAZ   FRA   Athinà Forward Racing   Yamaha Forward   300.5   1'35.000   2.353 / 0.241
21   17   Karel ABRAHAM   CZE   AB Motoracing   Honda   303.5   1'35.101   2.454 / 0.101
22   63   Mike DI MEGLIO   FRA   Avintia Racing   Ducati   309.1   1'35.487   2.840 / 0.386
23   50   Eugene LAVERTY   IRL   Aspar MotoGP Team   Honda   301.5   1'35.511   2.864 / 0.024
24   15   Alex DE ANGELIS   RSM   Octo IodaRacing Team   ART   296.6   1'35.671   3.024 / 0.160
25   33   Marco MELANDRI   ITA   Aprilia Racing Team Gresini   Aprilia   303.7   1'35.711   3.064 / 0.040

Q2

Pos.   Num.   Rider   Nation   Team   Bike   Km/h   Time   Gap 1st/Prev.
1   93   Marc MARQUEZ   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   313.1   1'32.246   
2   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   312.6   1'32.749   0.503 / 0.503
3   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   310.1   1'32.846   0.600 / 0.097
4   35   Cal CRUTCHLOW   GBR   CWM LCR Honda   Honda   310.0   1'32.897   0.651 / 0.051
5   29   Andrea IANNONE   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   316.0   1'33.001   0.755 / 0.104
6   38   Bradley SMITH   GBR   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   309.3   1'33.299   1.053 / 0.298
7   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   307.1   1'33.352   1.106 / 0.053
8   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   313.0   1'33.419   1.173 / 0.067
9   9   Danilo PETRUCCI   ITA   Pramac Racing   Ducati   309.8   1'33.556   1.310 / 0.137
10   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   Team SUZUKI ECSTAR   Suzuki   298.5   1'33.665   1.419 / 0.109
11   68   Yonny HERNANDEZ   COL   Pramac Racing   Ducati   307.6   1'33.714   1.468 / 0.049
12   44   Pol ESPARGARO   SPA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   309.7   1'33.724   1.478 / 0.010

MM didn't look very comfortable until the last run. I think Jorghey has the steady speed to get up there fast. MM needs to beat up on JLo the first few laps. At one point Rossi was 12th. He really needs to focus on qualy.

Quote from: duccarlos on May 16, 2015, 08:00:53 AM
MM didn't look very comfortable until the last run. I think Jorghey has the steady speed to get up there fast. MM needs to beat up on JLo the first few laps. At one point Rossi was 12th. He really needs to focus on qualy.

If he wants to win from row 3...

let him.

I agree that You'reghey looks to have the race pace and Marc will have trouble beating him. Marc would be wise to make sure Rossi stays behind him.

Tires shouldn't play a role in the race...the weather? 

I'll go out on a limb and say this could be Dovizioso's weekend. He and Lorenzo were the two with the pace to put together long strings of fast laps over the past couple of days, and Dovi's better in a dogfight. Of course, it's not much of a limb, as Cal Crutchlow said pretty much the same thing...

Marquez put in a nutty lap - jeez, half a second over everyone else? - but hasn't shown the kind of sustained speed of the other two. Counting him out is silly of course, and I'm beginning to think Rossi could win from a start in a nearby timezone, so I'm mostly hoping for another great race in what's already been a fun season.   

Quote from: ducpainter on May 16, 2015, 08:11:12 AM
If he wants to win from row 3...

let him.

I agree that You'reghey looks to have the race pace and Marc will have trouble beating him. Marc would be wise to make sure Rossi stays behind him.

Tires shouldn't play a role in the race...the weather? 

Rossi wins in the rain - the heavier the better for him.

Kind of a snoozer at the front...

great race for 4th between Marc and the Maniac.

Got my time zone wrong. Who's taking bets on Rossi winning the championship?

Four Ducatis in the top ten.

Ride of the meet goes to Crazy Joe.