MotoGP 2013

[pcolbeck]

If you think Formula 1 is boring then try MotoGP instead. The BBC are showing all the rounds. The first round was this weekend and The Doctor is back on form ! Rossi rode the wheels of the Yamaha to pull back from 7th to 2nd in the last 15 laps with some outrageous overtaking.  Maybe a 10th world title is on the cards after a couple of fallow years at Ducati. Role on Austin in two weeks and lets see Jorge Lorenzo and Valantino head to head please this time.

[Mr Larrington]

Pity about Crutchlow's little excursion but I doubt he'd have held off The Doctor for long...

[reddo]

Moto2 had some good racing on before it too.
Yep, some great racing in Moto GP. Some of those challenges on the last 2 laps were incredible. 

[pcolbeck]

Pity about Crutchlow's little excursion but I doubt he'd have held off The Doctor for long...

I was just pleased he didn't come off and grabbed some points. He left the track at a somewhat high speed when he realized he wasn't going to make the corner.

[anotherdeadhero]

Great race, good to see Valentino back in the mix. I was impressed by Marquez - a grade A nutter. Squared away Pedrosa, then went dicing with Rossi to try and retake 2nd on shot tyres.

[rafletcher]

Moto2 had some good racing on before it too.
Yep, some great racing in Moto GP. Some of those challenges on the last 2 laps were incredible. 

A shame, though, that Moto2 seems to have lost the bunched up racing it had a couple of years ago and now resembles MotoGP with a smaller group of likely-to-be sucessful riders out front and then the rest.

But go Il Dottore!  Lovely to see the sparkle back in his eyes, and watch out Jorge if he gets close to you - just ask Pedrosa!  Marquez will I think have his fair share of spills before settling fully into MotoGP. Shame for Bradley Smith after a better than expected qualifying.

I was spoilt as my wife's on holiday - so watched practice, qualifying nad the races live!

[Mr Larrington]

For once I was up in time to watch the Moto 2 race.

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What a cracking ride by Scott Redding FTW   Kept it rubber-side down when all the highly fancied Spaniards fetched up in the kitty-litter.  Hurrah for BRITAIN!

Also it's now chucking down at Le Mans, which might make the big race interesting...

[Andrew]

Coverage started her on French terrestrial tele. They've just shown Crutchlow off'ing from warm-up/qualifying, nothing serious fortunately.

Track is damp, more rain forecast and it's cold. I don't envy the poor old brolly-dollies in this! They ought be pulling their woolies on!

[Andrew]

Marquez has sliders.... on his elbows!

[Andrew]

Good, solid ride from Crutchlow there. A well deserved result.

[Mr Larrington]

Good, solid ride from Crutchlow there. A well deserved result.

With a fractured tibia to boot.  These blokes are nails

[spesh]

Good, solid ride from Crutchlow there. A well deserved result.

With a fractured tibia to boot.  These blokes are nails

Speaking of which, props to Lorenzo for finishing fifth at Assen today with a titanium upgrade to his collarbone after doing a Superman impression during practice. #hardcore

And in other news, it seems that the Doctor is back in the house...

[spesh]

Looks like we'll be losing MotoGP on the BBC in 2014 as it's going to BT Sport:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motogp/22464311

I don't know whether, as a BT Broadband user, I'll get free access to BT Sport, but I suspect not and would have to fork out for BT Vision. Oh well.

Arsebiscuits...   

[Greenbank]

I don't know whether, as a BT Broadband user, I'll get free access to BT Sport, but I suspect not and would have to fork out for BT Vision. Oh well.

You do (as long as you're currently in a contract with BT[1]).

http://www.bt.com/sport/

You can watch it online for free via their online player.

You can get it added to BT Vision if you have that (we don't).

If you've got Sky you can get it added to your Sky card for free. (We have a Sky box but use it as a Freesat box as we don't pay Sky anything month to month, and BT were still able to add it to our Sky card, you just need the viewing card number.)

1. Our contract had lapsed and we were on a rolling monthly doodah, so it was a good reason for me to sort it out. BT bill went down too as I chopped off the services we weren't actually using (some of the call packages, including International).

[Greenbank]

Thanks Greenbank, so it seems likely I can still watch it on my laptop (I have no idea how I'll connect it my oh so ancient (7 years old) TV, but maybe I should try).

My telly is 15 years old, and I can connect my laptop to it. It's a crap picture when I do it but it's good enough.

You have a Sky box but no contract? OK!

We've had Sky contracts on and off for years. However it's money better spent on other things right now. When you eventually get out of the Sky contract you just get left with a large selection of the Freeview channels (but not all of them).

[Illegal Combat Ant]

Excellent result there for Cal, all the more for having hands like lumps of raw meat. He's a hard bastard, well, they all are really, takes a really serious injury to stop any of 'em racing.

[spesh]

Excellent result there for Cal, all the more for having hands like lumps of raw meat. He's a hard bastard, well, they all are really, takes a really serious injury to stop any of 'em racing.

That, or the cumulative effect of a career's-worth of injuries... 

And speaking of the fine line 'twixt dedication and insanity, iturns out that Lorenzo is travelling to Laguna Seca this weekend and attempting to race, one week after bending the titanium plate on his busted collarbone. If I was in his situation, I'd have been more inclined to wait until the Indianapolis race after the summer break, but I guess he's more concerned about Marquez and Pedrosa pulling too far ahead in the championship if he sits out a second race in a row - not to mention that a good result for Crutchlow would have him closing right up or even passing him in the points tally.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motogp/23339430

[spesh]

Well, I went around and around with BT trying to get BT Sport on my laptop (I'm a BT Broadband customer so it should be free), but after a week of jumping through the same hoops over and over I gave up. Ought to try again soon since the first race of the season is nigh.

BUT, it looks from this page that ITV4 will be showing highlights  http://www.itv.com/btcc/itv4-signs-new-deals-for-high-octane-motorsport-series

The TV listings in today's paper confirm this. ITV4, Monday 8pm. 

Judging by the way free practice and qualifying went, it looks like it could be an interesting race tomorrow.

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Marquez on pole, satellite riders Bautista and Smith both within 0.1 seconds, and the top 12 in qualifying are covered by just under 0.7 seconds. In MotoGP terms, that is tighter than a gnat's chuff.

[mattc]

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Marquez on pole, satellite riders Bautista and Smith both within 0.1 seconds, and the top 12 in qualifying are covered by just under 0.7 seconds. In MotoGP terms, that is tighter than a gnat's chuff.

I'm not aware of many flavours of motorsport where that would be considered uncompetitive!