Fiat Yamaha Team's Valentino Rossi and Monster Yamaha Tech3's Ben Spies (Photo: Brian J Nelson)
A flapping helmet visor cost American Ben Spies any chance of pulling off a bold bid for a home podium in the United States Grand Prix. Just as Spies was about to mount an assault on Valentino Rossi in a dramatic Laguna Seca contest he was forced to ride one-handed to close his visor.
It was just one of what Spies described as a series of "small, stupid mistakes" that cost him an opportunity of engaging superstar Rossi in the closing stages of the 32-lap race.
Rossi eventually finished third in race won by Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo.
"I had the speed to be on the podium but couldn't get it done and that was ultimately my fault," Spies said after recovering to finish sixth. "It sucks that it (the visor) was a problem but that's the way it is."
Spies had been distracted by his flapping visor and the wind hitting his face numerous times during the race on the bumpy, twisting Laguna circuit.
"You wheelie quite a lot at Laguna and you're banging your head on the fairing and the visor lifting was a problem the whole race -- it was quite distracting," he said.
After drifting from third to seventh after a blistering start Spies had closed his Tech3 Yamaha to within 0.2s of Rossi in fourth with the pair both running a half second per lap faster than Andrea Dovizioso, then third.
