just got an e-mail from yamaha about the le mans race. read it o.k. but this caught my eye. look at the stats on the overall time when vermeulen won in 07 compared to jorge's 250cc. WTF is that 250. 7+mins faster for the entire race. or am i missing something?. anyway I predict a rossi battle elbow to elbows with stoner and da pud. but my man the living ledgend himself will prevail to win.

MotoGP Race Le Mans/FRA
Race - Outright Winner[?] Odds
Valentino Rossi 7/4
Daniel Pedrosa 9/4
Casey Stoner 7/2
Jorge Lorenzo 11/2
Nicky Hayden 25/1
Colin Edwards 33/1
Chris Vermeulen 40/1
Marco Melandri 40/1
Andrea Dovizioso 66/1
James Toseland 66/1
Randy De Puniet 80/1
Anthony West 100/1
John Hopkins 100/1
Loris Capirossi 100/1
Shinya Nakano 150/1
Sylvain Guintoli 150/1
Toni Elias 150/1
Alex De Angelis 250/1
Others on request



Valentino Rossi Information
Age: 29
Lives: Tavullia, Italy

Bike: Yamaha

GP victories: 89 (62 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)

First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)

First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)

GP starts: 196 (135 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 49

World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
Jorge Lorenzo Information
Age: 21

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Yamaha

GP victories: 22 (1 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)

First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)

First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)

GP starts: 98 (4 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 29 (3 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)

World Championships: 2 x 250cc
Le Mans: Record Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1'35.087
Le Mans: Best Lap
C. Edwards (Yamaha) 2007, 1'33.616
Grand Prix Le Mans 2007 results
1. C.Vermeulen (Suzuki) 50'58.713

2. M.Melandri (Honda) +12.599

3. C.Stoner (Ducati) +27.347

6. V. Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +53.563
Jorge Lorenzo Le Mans 2007 result
1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Aprilia 43'12.237 (250cc)


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Yamaha Racing Communications

The 250 race was dry whereas the Motogp started dry and then became wet forcing a change of bikes.

I checked the 250 times for the last few years and Lorenzo's time of 43'12 was 17 seconds slower then Pedrosas time in the 2005 250cc race. I don't follow the 250's so I have no idea what is going on with the bike development to know if you can compare different years.

As far as the time difference between the The 250 race and the MGP in addition to the weather mentioned the 250's also run two less laps, 26 compared to 28 for the MGP class.

Why not?

Probably because I just started watching Moto GP a few years ago after I picked up the Speed Channel and haven't started watching the other classes yet. That and the lack of Americans racing in the lower classes. I don't care for Lorenzo, Stoner, and Pedrosa in the top class so I don't think I would have liked them much better as cocky teenagers.

You should check out World Superbike. Its telecasted on Speed, has grown men on big bikes. Also the racing is quite good.