24-10-11, 04:54 PM
watching the BBC coverage we recorded and seeing marco lying helmetless on the track, I knew it was serious. when they said he was conscious I thought maybe he was paralysed with severe road rash/fracture to the head, so when I discovered he had died the sick feeling in my stomach just grew tenfold. he's a huge loss:- he'd been a challenger on the big bikes next year; his aggression on the track won him as many friends as enemies - but at least he was noticed; and his personality was bigger than even his hair - I loved the "then I will be arrested" comment to Lorenzo in that press conference.
if we are queasy thinking about it then what must Edwards and Rossi be feeling? even though it was a racing incident an no-one is to blame I wouldn't be surprised if they hang up their leathers.
it must've been a huge force to rip the strap out of one side of his helmet, but I do think that his huge hair may have played a part too. I also think the way racers wear their lids is a factor - how many of them actually have the chin bar at their chin? I know they tilt the lid up to see forward when in a racing crouch but if I do that to my lid I cant tighten the strap up as much as I normally do.
another thought - dunno where I read/heard it, but did the electronics on the bike have an effect? pre-traction control if a rider couldn't recover a lowside with his knee quick enough the bike would just slide away. I've not looked at the youtube clips but my memory of the images shown on the BBC broadcast on the pit screens is that Marco's bike seemed to regain it's grip too much dragging him across the track into the path of E & R.
if we are queasy thinking about it then what must Edwards and Rossi be feeling? even though it was a racing incident an no-one is to blame I wouldn't be surprised if they hang up their leathers.
it must've been a huge force to rip the strap out of one side of his helmet, but I do think that his huge hair may have played a part too. I also think the way racers wear their lids is a factor - how many of them actually have the chin bar at their chin? I know they tilt the lid up to see forward when in a racing crouch but if I do that to my lid I cant tighten the strap up as much as I normally do.
another thought - dunno where I read/heard it, but did the electronics on the bike have an effect? pre-traction control if a rider couldn't recover a lowside with his knee quick enough the bike would just slide away. I've not looked at the youtube clips but my memory of the images shown on the BBC broadcast on the pit screens is that Marco's bike seemed to regain it's grip too much dragging him across the track into the path of E & R.