MotoGP: Rossi is back!(French GP)

Casey Stoner is obviously a firm believer in the maxim – Quit while you are ahead!

Casey Stoner is 26 years old. He is the defending MotoGP World Champion. He has been racing motorcycles all his life. He has accomplished everything available and having amassed all the silverware, possibly he started thinking about the other things that make life worthwhile for us common folk.

So can you imagine the shock and awe that invaded the room, when  Stoner announced at a press briefing, that at the end of the 2012 season, he will retire! The shock waves are still reverberating!

It is my view that when World Champions decide to retire, they should make the announcement at the end of the season. Why? Their resolve and commitment may be questioned and the vipers (competitors)  will assemble and wait for the most convenient moment to strike and steal victory from the disillusioned.

The riders on the grid, with dagger in hand, possibly spotting an exposed, fragile heart in Casey Stoner, they went for the jugular! Qualifying rocked the boat a bit, when Dani Pedrosa grabbed the headlines by wringing pole out of his machine! Stoner avoided embarrassment by easing into second.

Motor racing organizers aim for parity between the competing machines, but we all know that when mother nature intervenes, the cream of the crop has a consistent habit of exhibiting a brilliant light of excellence, even when covered by dark clouds.

Rain guaranteed treacherous conditions on race day at the French GP, so it was a foregone conclusion that a predictable outcome was not a part of the plan.

Lorenzo

When the race got underway, Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo ignored the fact that he was not the rider on pole and forced his way to the front. He led lap 1 and refused to relinquish the position.

During the pre-race activities, Valentino Rossi was shown locked in a conversation with F1 superstar Michael Schumacher. Someone needs to find out what Schumacher said to Rossi because Rossi, in the rain at the French GP, delivered the type of performance the Ducati team is expecting of him.

The Rossi who gave nothing, but took everything from his opponents, was aboard the Ducati in France and he rode with a fire not previously seen in 2012. He bullied his way into third as the laps elapsed and then he set his sights on Stoner, who was in second.

Rossi

We enjoy each race, but there are some which we treasure and speak about forever. With the gap closing, Rossi was determined to rattle Stoner’s uncertain cage. With under 5 laps remaining, Rossi brought the Ducati within striking distance of Stoner’s Honda. When the World Champions locked horns and rubbed fairings, the eruptions of unrestrained joy from the fans at the circuit, destroyed the Richter Scale.

Rossi attacked, Stoner defended and as soon as he was passed, Stoner would counter-attack and reclaim his position with sly maneuvers! As they approached the wire, however, Rossi’s determination seeped through the rain-soaked leathers and when he passed Stoner on the final lap, he summoned all the horsepower left on the Ducati shop floor in Italy and when they arrived they overwhelmed Stoner. Rossi rode away and with the fans struggling to contain themselves, he crossed the line ahead of Stoner, forcing the commentator into a scream – ” Rossi is back!”

Did Rossi win the race? No! Jorge Lorenzo did, but Rossi stole all of the attention. Rossi is still Lorenzo’s worst nightmare!

(click below)

French GP 2012

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer