Originally Posted by
~Barn~
Why battle with Rossi like he did instead of with M.M.? Easy: Rossi was the only one around to realistically do battle with. Marquez got up front and put distance on the both of them, not much, but some. And considering that Lorenzo knows damn well that tire "availability" late in the race was going to be an concern, he was only able to push hard enough and confidently enough, to go back and forth with Valentino. Again, as a practical matter. Could Jorge have pushed harder earlier to try and gap Rossi a bit and press Marquez? Undoubtedly he could have but why battle like that, when you know you're gonna blow your preverbal load in the opening rounds of the fight? Jorge is good because he's cerebral.
M.M. of course - doing what he usually does - is out there "riding" while the others must race. Just because his pace was only fractionally ahead or maybe 1 full second up on Lorenzo, doesn't mean he wasn't on cruise control. He road sensational early, and I was really impressed with his day right up until where he bought it. Jorge... fought valiantly, but when his tires got uncomfortable for him, he fell off like Damir said, and Rossi extended his gap and that battle was concluded.
Ultimately Marquez himself didn't know what dangers where awaiting him either. Complacency (as they say) is also one of those things that comes with being in "cruise control". Had somebody been fighting it out with Marc, I am next to certain that he wouldn't have crashed, at least not in that spot as several of them did, and in that manner. He'll learn from this; it's going to sting and he probably won't crash from the front in a long, Long, LONG time.
In the end, Rossi won this because he's a veteran champion who has veteran game and he's always fast as shit. He understands that anything can happen, you just have to position yourself there at the end. I love how he races so confidently and so well on tracks that he likes and has success at. Pace, bike, tires, crew chief... none of that really is the moral of the story, here. Rossi had this race won in his head when he was eating his breakfast that morning, as probably did Marc Marquez. Rossi in all his experience and treachery though, also let the thoughts go through is head of what could also lose this race for him, or what circumstance might befall one of his foes. Jorge's a vet too. He knew when it was time to cut bait and keep the bike vertical.
Marc Marquez will of course learn this someday too, when this ceases being easy for him.
And yeah. Poor Cal. Great race and late push to be there at the end. At least your wife is hot.