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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Spies Explains ‘Pathetic Race’
Ben Spies wasn't happy with his uncharacteristically unrideable M1 in the season opener but remains confident heading to Round 2 at Jerez.
Ben Spies (Photo: Yamaha Racing)
Ben Spies ended Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix feeling empty, an uninspiring 11th place finish not the way he expected to start the MotoGP season.
"A pretty pathetic race," was the summary from Spies who was helpless to join in the podium battle that was led by his race winning Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.
But Spies remains bullish about his 2012 season. A clear intent to race for wins and podiums justified by his preseason form, right on the hammer of pacesetters Lorenzo and Honda men Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.
He is looking set things straight at next race in just over two weeks, the Spanish GP at Jerez.
But two heavy spills in practice in Qatar and the surprise appearance in the race of severe chatter with his usually silky smooth M1 was an unexpected early setback.
"I had a lot of bad feeling. But we just did what we could and rode around for 22 laps. It wasn’t the funnest thing in the world just trying to get points," he said. "Now we head back to Jerez and hopefully have some new bikes that are working good.
"But it was good Jorge won (in Qatar). We can see the Yamaha is going good. We just had a big problem obviously and we just got to wait and find out what it was."
At the end Spies was just over one second clear of the first CRT bike to finish, the Suter-BMW ridden by fellow Texan Colin Edwards.
"I actually felt good taking off on the start," said Spies who quickly dropped to fourth on lap two and then faded to 11th while battling almost unrideable chatter.
"I almost saw the moon a couple times in the first couple laps and just chilled out and let everybody pass and rode my own race and that was it.
"But Jorge rode great. I feel I could’ve been up there -- we could’ve been battling with them -- but there was just no getting around the feeling I had with the bike."
Something went terribly wrong to induce the chatter in the Spies M1 -- "felt like I had knobbies on the bike" -- of which there was no evidence in Lorenzo's M1.
Spies' fastest race lap was a 1'56.9 (lap 3) after he had qualified fourth at 1'55.5.
Worse for Spies was that it wasn't just Lorenzo ahead of him on Yamahas. The two satellite riders with the Tech3 Yamaha team, Cal Crutchlow (4th) and Andrea Dovizioso (5th), staged an enthralling race long battle to make it three Yamahas in the top five.
Looking ahead Spies is confident he can be in the fight at Jerez.
Spies was an impressive 4th fastest, behind only Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa, at final preseason test at Jerez in late March.
"I feel good about going to Jerez. I'll know in a couple weeks what we've got to ride there -- hopefully some bikes that are working good.
"I’m confident with the bike when it’s working good. We just need to get some stuff figured out and fixed. We’re just waiting to see what exactly the problem was.
"But I'm looking forward to Jerez and I’m going to have two weeks off and cool down a little bit."
"A pretty pathetic race," was the summary from Spies who was helpless to join in the podium battle that was led by his race winning Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.
But Spies remains bullish about his 2012 season. A clear intent to race for wins and podiums justified by his preseason form, right on the hammer of pacesetters Lorenzo and Honda men Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa.
He is looking set things straight at next race in just over two weeks, the Spanish GP at Jerez.
But two heavy spills in practice in Qatar and the surprise appearance in the race of severe chatter with his usually silky smooth M1 was an unexpected early setback.
"I had a lot of bad feeling. But we just did what we could and rode around for 22 laps. It wasn’t the funnest thing in the world just trying to get points," he said. "Now we head back to Jerez and hopefully have some new bikes that are working good.
"But it was good Jorge won (in Qatar). We can see the Yamaha is going good. We just had a big problem obviously and we just got to wait and find out what it was."
At the end Spies was just over one second clear of the first CRT bike to finish, the Suter-BMW ridden by fellow Texan Colin Edwards.
"I actually felt good taking off on the start," said Spies who quickly dropped to fourth on lap two and then faded to 11th while battling almost unrideable chatter.
"I almost saw the moon a couple times in the first couple laps and just chilled out and let everybody pass and rode my own race and that was it.
"But Jorge rode great. I feel I could’ve been up there -- we could’ve been battling with them -- but there was just no getting around the feeling I had with the bike."
Something went terribly wrong to induce the chatter in the Spies M1 -- "felt like I had knobbies on the bike" -- of which there was no evidence in Lorenzo's M1.
Spies' fastest race lap was a 1'56.9 (lap 3) after he had qualified fourth at 1'55.5.
Worse for Spies was that it wasn't just Lorenzo ahead of him on Yamahas. The two satellite riders with the Tech3 Yamaha team, Cal Crutchlow (4th) and Andrea Dovizioso (5th), staged an enthralling race long battle to make it three Yamahas in the top five.
Looking ahead Spies is confident he can be in the fight at Jerez.
Spies was an impressive 4th fastest, behind only Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa, at final preseason test at Jerez in late March.
"I feel good about going to Jerez. I'll know in a couple weeks what we've got to ride there -- hopefully some bikes that are working good.
"I’m confident with the bike when it’s working good. We just need to get some stuff figured out and fixed. We’re just waiting to see what exactly the problem was.
"But I'm looking forward to Jerez and I’m going to have two weeks off and cool down a little bit."
Grand Prix of The France
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