MotoGP: Lorenzo brutal, but Marquez…

Author : cmunroe

France is revered by motorsports fans worldwide simply because it retains the home address, for arguably the greatest spectacle on planet Earth – the 24 hours of Le Mans! Legends are born at that famous race, careers are launched, reputations built and hopeful seeds of an enduring legacy, are sown, each time a manufacturer ascends to the top step of the majestic podium. Ask Porsche, Ferrari, Ford and in recent times, Audi, to explain the significance of victory at Le Mans.

So, it may be argued that at any iconic motorsports location/circuit, if a series is bold enough to occupy any portion of the racing surface during an event/race weekend, any performance delivered must exceed that which would be regarded as the norm. At Le Mans, excellence is the only standard that counts!

Apparently the MotoGP-boys got the memo! In France, at Le Mans on Sunday, a collision of motorcycle-egos, led by individuals jostling to grab most of the available loot (points) – resulted in a spectacle of gargantuan proportions!

Double and defending World Champion, Marc Marquez, remains trapped in a roller-coaster season. He is still reeling from confrontations with the two-pronged Yamaha attack – Lorenzo and Rossi! His, has not been a therapeutic ride thus far, but he is built of carbon fiber and he will fight, even after the chequered flag is waved!

At Le Mans, despite weather-created hurdles, Marquez bought the rights for the pole position. Lorenzo, who won in Jerez, had to settle with P3, shoved aside by Dovizioso’s rapid Ducati. On Sunday, when the machines roared towards corner 1, a firefight began! When the flames were eventually extinguished, Lorenzo held P1 with Dovizioso clinging to his rear tyre. Marquez was shell-shocked! He initially ran wide, recovered but found it rather difficult to stay with the ‘big boys’ at the front. He was imprisoned at P6 until he successfully exorcised the demons who paid him a visit and it was at that stage that the spectacle began!

Lorenzo is a master at his craft and he is known for relentless consistency when he is allowed to step away at the front of the grid. He taught that class, again, at Le Mans. Dovizioso tried but to no avail. Rossi is a worker bee. He simply does not know how to quit and despite his qualifying position, we expect him to slice his way through the pack until he sits in a respectable points-paying position. He  brushed several riders aside, including Dovizioso  as he made a run for P1. But when he approached Lorenzo he encountered an impregnable force-field! He had to accept P2.

Behind them explosive devices were ignited! It was a joust, it was a duel, it was a battle and it was a fracas! It was a fight, it was world war 3 triggered by a dispute involving two protagonists (Marquez and Ianone) who have had a history of gladiatorial encounters !

Marquez and Ianone came close to trading paint, fairings, leathers and even foot pegs, but driven by an insatiable desire to finish, they kept the blows above the belt and only gave room when their options were reduced to zero!

They swapped positions like the pieces on a chess-board! The flame of excitement shone brilliantly and when Ianone thought he had vanquished the Marquez threat, the phenom released a never before seen weapon!

Ianone was in front, both riders were approaching the corner at ridiculous MotoGP speeds. As directed, brakes were applied and both machines protested as their speed was restrained. But, Marquez was committed to displace Ianone and his move began while braking. He could not have been more than a meter or two behind Ianone when he summoned his brakes. We saw the Repsol Honda at its worst when it was instructed to arrest its speed! The rear wheel discontinued its association with the circuit and the machine adopted a rodeo dance!

But Marquez was ready. The Honda’s rear wheel was aiming for the French clouds but Marquez kept his focus. He extended the wand, realigned the unruly beast and somehow entered and exited the corner before Ianone! How he was able to direct the unbalanced,intoxicated bull and still overtake Ianone is a mystery which will be resolved by MotoGP experts in the near future!

The blow was fatal. Ianone receded. Lorenzo claimed victory and made it clear that he will be a contender in 2015. We salute him, but Marquez, even when a podium-spot eludes him, he continues to sizzle like a Jamaican summer day! Rossi leads the championship, Lorenzo eases into P2. Marquez is somewhere in the distance, but I am extremely happy that the machine and other players are giving him a ‘warm time’ because he is forced to manhandle the machine like none before him has done ! The next round visits Rossi’s place of birth – Italy. It should be a cracker!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer

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