for upgrades is not being tied to Honda for changes. Team LCR have ordered an Italian firm to produced a revised fairing for Checa, to replace the minuscule item which the Spaniard is too big to crouch behind. Although Checa has always done well at Le Mans

to the last lap once again.But this year's race looks less like being 2007's identical twin, and more like that race's first cousin. For despite all the similarities, a huge amount has changed in just 12 months. In early June last year, Valentino Rossi may

needed to overcome air resistance increases as the cube of the velocity. In other words, if you want to go twice as fast (with no changes to the aerodynamics), you need to produce EIGHT times the horsepower. Obviously, even the bright sparks at Ducati

they love to hate, have spent those precious 50 minutes of glorious motorcycle racing. The cycle repeats, again and again, race weekend after race weekend.Plus Ca ChangeRecently, however, the cycle had been getting a little too monotonous for even the most

afford to hesitate, and must take every corner at exactly the right speed to make use of the available grip, yet the rain makes every corner different, changing grip levels from lap to lap, and even from moment to moment. If fortune favors the brave

are - will win the race. His bike may be a stable-full of horsepower short, he may be struggling with grip in the dry, the bike may refuse to change direction on sticky rubber: These things no longer matter. The only question is are you brave enough to find

itself is a little bit of a letdown. The location itself plays a part here: built at the edge of wide, flat expanse of the Po valley, the track is pretty well flat, with no elevation changes to speak of. What's more, since the direction of the track

, any team sensing an advantage could use them. But that is now gone.Waving The FlagSupporters of the change quite rightly point out that tires, while incredibly important, are the least interesting part of a racing motorcycle to the vast majority

fruitful in developing a bike and fighting for a title, with so much distrust and bad blood between them. So, unless big changes are made, Repsol Honda is not going to be able to function as a team next year.There has already been some talk of punishment

of tyranny. Helping to make this scene so green and lush is England's weather, an entirely unpredictable affair offering sun, rain and cloud, in every changing measure, the only certainty being that you will see some of each at some point every day.A Tale