MotoGP:France - Dani the Man & Cal the CALculator!

That was certainly an exhilerating race today!

Watching the way Cal Crutchlow's bike slammed him into the tarmac in free practice four, almost high-siding him only to SLAM him down, had me hoping that he'd be well enough to race today as he's a proper character when interviewed by the BBC, lol! 

It sounded like he came through it with some very worrying symptoms at first, so to see him get taken back to the garage on the back of the medical scooter was a relief, I'll tell you that much and then he goes and gets on a bicycle (a freakin' bike bro's!) and cycles to the medical centre for his checkup... THAT is dedication to your sport!

I think it'll be pretty obvious who I've tipped for rider of the day then...


But before I get onto that I'm going to have to say that I thought today's race wasn't exactly a predictable one, given that Marc Marquez had got himself on pole again with Jorge Lorenzo in second and Andrea Dovizioso in third for the first time since last year's Malaysian race. For the first time this year, it meant that all three of the majority manufacturers were represented on the front row, which is good business for the future of the sport.

This pushed Cal back to an impressive fourth who, when it came out that he was given the green light to race with a "fractured tibia just below the knee" (in his own words), had me amazed how hardcore he is because lesser men would have chickened out and sat on the sidelines, even if the doctor had given them the all clear.

So with a front row like that, Crutchlow was joined on the second row with Stefan Bradl (whom some might argue was supposed to light the scene up like Marquez is doing!), last year's Moto2 champion & the hotly tipped by some to win this year's championship, Dani Pedrosa.

It turned out that this was definitely one for the man sitting on the second row because after an excellent start, he was soon battling hard with Dovie for the first position. Dovie it was, in my mind who was the early star of the show, breaking up the norm to get in front and show that he has potential, now that he's on a piece of machinery that seems to have lit a fire underneath him.

Now, before you accuse me of hating on Monster Yamaha's Tech III bike, I just want to say that this is my own personal opinion of today's race and if more performances are put in like that on the Ducati, then it will look much, much better than it did when former world champion (and my personal all-time fave rider, aside from Jorge, naturally!) Valentino Rossi was given it. 

How much development it's undergone since he was sat on that bike is an unknown to me, but what I'm saying is that this looks like the serious piece of kit I always thought it was when I first started watching MotoGP a few years back. Nicky Hayden proved it was no fluke that this is a competitive piece of kit (given appropriate track conditions, like today!) by bringing his machine home in fifth place.

So, onto my rider of the day award & over the season I'll be looking back as well as forward to make sure I'm aware of who my Rider of the Season is (each award I give is worth one credit, bro's, come that day)...

Cal Crutchlow

It's simple really (I wanted to say 'simples' but I thought better of it, bro's!), I could have picked Dovie, my personal favourite of the up and comer's and I could also have opted for the race winner (but where's the fun in that because I'm rewarding performance not necessarily race wins!). The reason I have stuck with Cal for this one is because of what he's come through today to get himself on the grid and be given the all clear, even though he was racing with broken bones!

When he talked of having 'a bloody nose & internal bleeding in the stomach' I thought that he was crazy to have even contemplated racing, but, such is the hardcore nature of this bro' that I fully respect him for grinding out the performance and riding like he had nothing wrong with him!

I guaran-damn-tee you this, bro's; Cal Crutchlow will be celebrating his first race win and I would like to be confident enough to say "this season" as well, but I'm gonna err on the side of caution in case there are any adverse reactions to today's pre-race injuries. Get well soon anyways, Cal, and I sincerely hope there aren't because you are truly a pleasure to hear ripping Matt's clothing choices along with your brutal candour on your own & the team's performances! If this doesn't give you a ride for 2014, what the hell will?!

All of this being said, I have not made mention to race winner Dani Pedrosa, who was utterly fantastic today and now that he's got a win under his belt in the wet this season. He's really showing what can happen as long as you stay on the black stuff and giving us a clue what we would have missed out on in terms of championship fight last season!

Next up, the bikes're rippin' it up in Mugello, Italy, another of my favourite circuits for the bikes (yes, I do have a lot and it's not because I'm easily pleased, just because I don't like being predictable!).

Let's see if Cal can eclipse his maiden 2nd place with a maiden victory, or whether today's 3rd placed performance from Marquez, the man who's lit up this season's championship already and we're only up to race five, cannot add yet another twist to the 2013 season!

Peace out, bro's!


The Lanky Penguin

Before I forget, congrats today go to Scott Redding and his Marc VDS Racing Team who claimed his maiden victory in Moto2... this bro is class, I saw the race and can officially advise a caution to watch out as he's gonna be lighting up like a firecracker the MotoGP grid next year at this rate and it will look rosy with another Brit on it! CONGRATS SCOTT!!!