Hayden on Rossi

January 11, 2011

Haydenbrushing

Nicky Hayden, the other guy in this photograph of Valentino Rossi, knows he needs some serious results in 2011 or he risks being completely overshadowed.

Michael

I used to think of Hayden as a hick. Truth is, he is a hick, but I believe he has more heart than most anyone on the premiere class grid. He’s courageous as all hell to boot. The Desmo has proven itself a beast of a bike to ride, but he’s put in a few good rides this year in between bad-luck brakes. I’m rooting for ole’ Hayden. I’d like to see him return to greatness.
markbvt

I’ve always thought that Hayden doesn’t really get the respect he deserves. Wasn’t it Ducati themselves who admitted that it wasn’t Stoner, but rather Hayden who was responsible for developing the Desmosedici into a bike that people other than Stoner could actually ride?
gregorbean

I hope Nicky shuts up the naysayers this year with a few victories. He is a spirited rider and a good guy, and his pass on Jorge on the last lap at Aragon shows he’s still got what it takes to battle with the top guys at the front.
GuessWho

Collin Edwards and Nicky Hayden are both great riders but think realistically. Edwards is going no where fast. Hayden is on A bike and isnt doing his job. Both these guya should be put in WSBK where they belong. Just like Biaggi and Bayliss. Theyre just not MotoGP material. Period.
- gregorbean
  
  I agree about Colin going back to WSBK (although I’d love to see him win a MotoGP race before he does), but Hayden? Seriously? Not MotoGP material?! He was World Champion in 2006 for fucks sake!! I’m sorry, but that’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read in a while.
  - GuessWho
    
    Ridiculous? Haha. You must not do to much reading. That was a total fluke. Some Champion, he won 2 race that whole year and a total of 3 races in his 7 years in MotoGP. He got lucky everyone elses bikes failed. Whens the last time he won a race? WSBK is his future. If doesnt deliver this year its over for him in GP.
    - gregorbean
      
      Read all you want, I watched every race that season. However you slice it Nicky was the points leader and World Champion. You just don’t get that many points in MotoGP on a fluke. It’s called consistency.
      
      Except for his first year on the Duc he’s been mostly running mid to front pack for years. It’s the mid to back of the pack guys that should consider alternatives like WSBK. Guys like Hayden help make MotoGP more interesting, mixing it up with the obvious top guys.
      
      I’ll admit that winning another MotoGP title is a long shot, if not impossible for him, but I’d put money on him winning at least a couple more MotoGP races before he moves to something different. In my opinion, riders who can challenge for MotoGP podiums are MotoGP material. If all the guys who aren’t always at the top went to WSBK, the racing in the MotoGP field would be even more slim and lopsided.
      - Scott
        
        “… Guys like Hayden help make MotoGP more interesting …” Oh-yeah-man!
        How’s MotoGP racin’ identify as international without Yanks on the grid?
      - Thomas
        
        Hayden is a fluke and should get ready for WSB? How about Capirossi? Should he go to WSB too? What about all the other riders who don’t podium. That’s just silly.
        
        Hayden is a survivor. I’d love to see them get rid of Traction control and let them actually ride the bikes instead of letting the smallest & lightest of the lot win races by outbraking and pinning the throttle.
GuessWho

Yes he “was” the Champ but, far from a Champ. I like to see Champions win races.
I was happy to see him become the Champ but I thought it was a total joke. He made the podium due to the top front runners battling it out for a win, rubbing leathers and crashing out or blowing engine pushing for the win. You got Hayden hanging in the back gaining positions from engine fails and crashes, not from making passes or banging bike and rubbing leahers. It was a fluke.
- Zach
  
  Or it was a strategy?
- Thomas
  
  Pointless discussion, the only guy who knows won’t be telling any of us any time soon. Fact is he runs in the top 1/2 of MGP and as someone else wrote, its the back markers that should be going elsewhere if positioning is your sole criteria. No arguement, Stoner won on Ducati and Nicky did not but the reason isn’t alwasy skill or courage. Especially not the latter. So, blow i up your ass.
- gregorbean
  
  Dude. Watch the races. Or at least look up the stats.
  
  Hayden was running towards the front of the pack the whole 2006 season, with 2 wins, 3 2nd place podiums, and 5 3rd place podiums. That’s not “hanging in the back” by any stretch of the imagination. Plus he got taken out by Pedrobot in Portugal! In the 6 other races where he failed to get on the podium he finished 4th, 7th, 9th, and 5th 3 times.
  
  I like to see Champions have fancy mustaches. But it doesn’t make them less of a Champ when they don’t have a mustache but still WIN THE FREAKING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
  - tomwito
    
    It would be AWESOME if Hayden grew a fancy mustache! Like Doc Holliday in Tombstone…
    - http://www.smartcycleshopper.com/author/doug-dalsing/ DougD
      
      Dennis Quaid as Nicky Hayden in a MotoGP movie? Sacha Baron Cohen can play Vale.
      - tomwito
        
        Brilliant!
Eddie

I agree w/Thomas. Nicky is consistently running in the top 10 and even successfully battled Lorenzo at Aragon this season for a well deserved spot on the podium. He’s most certainly deserves to be in the premiere class.
tomwito

Edwards would probably do a lot better on a factory bike. Spies was awesome last year but how many times did the factory bikes ride right past him? Noticeably less power.
- http://www.smartcycleshopper.com/author/doug-dalsing/ DougD
  
  Isn’t it pretty obvious anybody would do better on a factory bike? The question is: Does Edwards deserve it? I’d say probably not …
  
  Even on a satellite team, Spies had some ‘great success’ last year, so it’s clear he deserves to be on a factory bike; he deserves the increased financial/technical backing because he’s proven himself with less of it.
  - tomwito
    
    Yeah, that is a valid point. But calling any of these guys a bad rider is idiotic. Bring any of them to a local track event and the would lap the field.
    - tomwito
      
      they*
Isaac

Too late Nicky, It happened the moment pen went to paper on Vale’s contract.

Did the new Duc get punched in the face like the CBR1000 RR or is it just me?