planetearth
There Can Be Only One
Number of posts : 3271
Registration date : 2007-02-03
 |  Subject: Alberto Puig interview  Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:54 am | |
| ...sniped this. - Quote :
- A: ...The World Champion, which is Nicky Hayden, is here, and by definition he is the man to beat. After that there is Valentino Rossi, who for me is the most in form and complete rider in the category. They are the clear favourites and they really have to handle the pressure. One has the objective of defending the title, which took so much out of him to win, and the other has the objective of reclaiming what has been taken from him which, although he says that he doesn’t agree with that- and with all due respect, is very difficult to believe. Rossi is a great champion and these sort of people don’t forget these types of things. To lose the title last year bothered him a lot, and I think that this is what will make him try more than ever. ...
Q: Have the comments about the new Honda 800cc being especially designed for Pedrosa bothered you?
A: The first thing that one has to do is speak with knowledge of the cause. At a technical level, one has to say that the difference in weight between last year’s bike and this years is only 4kg. They have the same distance between axels and the main change is that the bike is somewhat narrower and the power logically inferior. I think that it is evident to anybody of normal intelligence that Pedrosa has a clear handicap in MotoGP because of his physical characteristics. He is a rider who weighs 52kg and is no taller than 1’60m. Last year he had a lot of difficulties riding such a big bike, and nobody hailed the effort that it takes to fight with a bike like that. The only thing that we asked for was a change in the tank and saddle to adapt to Dani better. It is the same story as always, and the only thing that they try to do is take credit away from the rider. They already tried to do it when he was in 125cc and 250cc, asking that they put more weight on him. It seems like a joke that it is said that he is playing with an advantage. Rossi and Hayden didn’t say anything about Dani’s inferiority last season. That now some people try to use these minimal technical differences to devalue his results seems out of place, and that some riders insinuate that he even has an advantage seems ridiculous. I think that those that make these comments should concentrate on their own garage, on their team and on their work, and stop thinking about others. Regarding the press, it’s a lost cause, one has to not give them more importance. There are three or four that believe that they know a lot about this, and unfortunately they have no idea. The truth is that Dani, a small rider, now has less of a disadvantage than last year, but he continues to be handicapped. This is the reality.
Q: Does Pedrosa feel as comfortable on this bike as the preseason results seem to suggest?
A: Being a more manageable bike, that has somewhat less power, it requires a riding style and line that in some cases is similar to a 125cc or 250cc bike, and it is clear that he feels more at ease with this bike. It demands other things from the rider, like preparing better for the corner exit, for example. Dani is more comfortable with this style of riding and this is important. | |
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