MotoGP: Lorenzo strikes back in Italy

Just when you thought Casey Stoner was about to run off with the championship, someone stepped in and kicked the curry goat (patois) pot off the fire. As we would say di plan spoil!

At Round 7 in Assen, Yamaha Factory Racing’s new ace, Ben Spies, road brilliantly and claimed his first MotoGP victory. I am certain that he was hoping that the momentum gained could assist his mission at Mugello. Wishful thinking?

 Mugello is one of those legendary tracks. A circuit at which MotoGP machines can hit the 200 mph mark! It is fast, it has demanding elevation changes, it turns left and it turns right. Mugello is a track which dictates respect.

In qualifying Spies wasn’t far off the mark, but his best was Stoner’s better! Stoner eradicated the lap record!

Stoner is now the man to catch and when the red lights disappeared, signaling the start of the race, he made it obvious. The Repsol Honda secret agent went in search of a certain black and white flag.

Lorenzo kept the faith and despite harassment from Stoner’s teammate Dovizioso he didn’t lose sight of the target – Stoner. Lorenzo eventually discarded Dovizioso and as the laps wore on, it became evident that Stoner’s pace was about to bite him.

Tyre management is a blessing if you have mastered the art and a monumental curse if you are delinquent in that regard. At Mugello, Stoner’s iron fist became one of sand. As his foundation – his tyres – became unstable, Lorenzo went on the offensive.

Stoner’s huge gap was reduced to the size of the eye of a needle and with 6 laps to go, Lorenzo moved in for the kill and took P1. Having won the tyre chess battle, Lorenzo rode on to claim the war. Stoner’s despair multiplied when his teammate, Dovizioso, who is also Italian, slid by to grab second. The fans had a party! 

As Lorenzo crossed the line and confirmed victory in front of the 80,000 plus fans, his message could be heard from Stoner’s home in Australia – I am still the world champion! The battle moves to Germany next.

Official Video Podcast – Mugello 2011

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer