On the inside of the last turn of the chicane at Assen, the final corner before the finish line, there's a strip of Astroturf, a material with some interesting properties. From the perspective of track management, its best points are the fact

Barely had the engines cooled and the dust been washed off the bikes after the race at Donington before the entire MotoGP circus was busy packing and loading up to head on over to the northern reaches of the Netherlands, and the TT Circuit at Assen

this painfully clear. So as we headed to Assen for the race that marks the halfway point of the season, the only question left open was what Stoner's margin of victory would be, which of his fellow Bridgestone riders would join him on the podium, and how close

't appear to understand the concept of building up slowly.Pole DancersThis year's Dutch TT at Assen was no different. Stoner was blisteringly fast from Thursday morning: 0.6 seconds faster than the rest in FP1, increasing his lead to 0.7 seconds

competitive, except for the small question of reliability. Electrical faults at both Donington and Assen prevented Hayden from getting the results he now looks capable of, with the podium lost to the engine dying on the last corner at Assen the cruelest blow

It is perhaps an interesting irony that the MotoGP circus moves from one former street circuit to another this weekend, leaving the fast, flat sweeping turns of Assen behind to visit the tight, tortuous turns of the Sachsenring circuit. But where

, and both have points to prove. Hayden wants to get back into his podium groove, which saw him get on the box at every race since Assen. Or rather, at every race except the ones he was taken out by other riders, with John Hopkins doing for The Kentucky Kid

must be in with a shot at another podium, at the very least. The Texas Tornado has yet to score a win in MotoGP, and the next two races, at Donington and Assen, surely represent his best chances of finally getting on the top step.Yet another Yamaha

that the two wildcard appearances in the US will generate, and will have a much better chance of a decent result in front of his home crowd. With Loris Capirossi still not absolutely certain for Assen, the American could gain yet more valuable experience

have several options. Mugello combines spectacular scenery with crowd insanity, Assen offers well-organized and efficient celebration, while the extremely low prices of beer, tickets and lodging at Brno make it an excellent choice for bike fans on a