MotoGP 2007 – Le Mans Results

Australian Chris Vermeulen triumphed on a very wet Le Mans track over the weekend on his Rizla Suzuki. TheSunshine Coast rider’s strategy; of coming in early for a bike swap when the rain began to fall, paid the ultimate dividend by giving him his maiden victory on the MotoGP scene. Vermeulen rode a sensible race to eventually win with a margin of 12 seconds over tough Italian Marco Melandri on a Honda.

Vermeulen’s compatriot, Casey Stoner, finished a ‘mature’ 3^rd on the factory Ducati. For Vermeulen it was his second podium in the MotoGP class after his 3^rd place atPhillip Island last year, also in the wet. 

The conditions went from suspect to bad then worse over the course of the race, and with this year’s new tyre rules combined with the ability for riders to swap bikes if it rains, made for some interesting scenes in pit lane. 

The biggest loser in the race would have to be Texan Tornado Colin Edwards. Colin must have walked under a ladder just as a black cat crossed his path, then tripping over a mirror which he then broke. The guy could not take a trick. After a blistering qualifying session which saw him take his maiden pole position on the Fiat Yamaha M1, he was swamped at the start and had considerable problems with his rear tyre. He pitted twice in the race. Fortunately he was able to salvage a 12^th placing, albeit 2 laps down. 

His team mate Valentino Rossi wasn’t without issues of his own. As I have pointed out in previous articles, Rossi just doesn’t look comfortable. Admittedly, neither would I at a wet Le Mans, but he again made simple errors trying to turn his bike in through the challenging corners. It seemed as if the front suspension was a little hard, causing him to drop from leading the race, to a somewhat lacklustre 6^th. In fact his 6^th only came about by Nicky Hayden crashing out with a handful of laps to go. 

Hayden seems to be suffering as well, and although he performed well in the wet, it would be safe to say his title defence is finished. He fought well to get 5^th from Rossi, but his off was disappointing. This disappointment was clearly visible immediately after the incident, which left him stranded in the ‘kitty litter’. 

The biggest news for the 2007 MotoGP championship however, was Casey Stoners solid 3^rd despite the conditions. In the lead up to this race he had to field commentary that the Ducati was all horsepower and that he would struggle on the tight and technical Le Mans track.

The young Aussie responded to his naysayer’s in the best possible way by what could be the turning point in the championship. It surely would have been a hard thing for Rossi to see the Ducati pass him. A wet track is meant to be a huge disadvantage for the big horsepower bikes, but Stoner was able to ride the Ducati with a maturity beyond his years.  It wasn’t all easy for the Kurri Kurri Kid, he dropped back early in the race but was bale to claw his way back. The result gives him a 21 point lead in the championship over his nearest rival Rossi. 

 Race:
1. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki)
2. Marco Melandri (Honda)
3. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
5. Alex Hoffman (Ducati)
6. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
7. John Hopkins (Suzuki)
8. Loris Capirossi (Ducati)
9. Makoto Tamada (Yamaha)
10. Sylvain Guintoli (Yamaha)
11. Fonsi Nieto (
Kawasaki)
12. Colin Edwards (Yamaha)
DNF: Alex Barros (Ducati)
DNF: Kenny Roberts (Team KR)
DNF: Nicky Hayden (Honda)
DNF: Shinya Nakano (Honda)
DNF: Randy de Puniet (
Kawasaki)
DNF: Toni Elias (Honda)
DNF: Carlos Checa (Honda)

Championship Standings:
1. Stoner, 102
2. Rossi, 81
3. Pedrosa, 62
4. Melandri, 61
5. Vermeulen, 55  As always feel free to comment and come back for more news, comment and humour 

Dave