the fate of another British champion called James who went before him. James Ellison suffered several difficult years in MotoGP, first aboard the underpowered WCM, then last year with the Tech 3 Yamaha team, on the chatter-ridden Yamaha M1 which may have

from Rossi's team mate Colin Edwards, who gave a masterclass of block passing and defensive riding all throughout the race, first passing Hayden and Pedrosa to take points away from them, then holding them off while Rossi got away at the front. Then

Of Two TracksBut the track more than makes up for any chance you may have of getting a soaking. It starts at Redgate, the first right-hander where you turn to head down the hill, and through the glorious Craner Curves, trying desperately to flick from

The life of a MotoGP rider can seem utterly sublime to outsiders. Flying around the globe to ride the most advanced motorcycles on the planet at some of the best tracks in the world sounds like a pretty idyllic existence. Combine this with a very

Pedrosa came back across the line at the end of the first lap, he had a lead over the chasing pack of nearly 2 seconds. Rain Man?It is common knowledge that you can't afford to let Pedrosa get away at the start, as his strong point is riding smooth, fast

to know the track, then come Sunday, drop the flag and see who crosses the line first 28 laps later. The devil, however, is in the detail, for once you embark upon those very first steps of organizing a motorcycle race, you are soon overwhelmed by a

and understand, riding a powerful motorcycle around a race track. But that release from pre-race tension is all too brief, for it is the prelude to the worst 15 minutes of a rider's life. Once they round the final corner and roll up to their starting position

There's an old axiom in motorcycle racing that says that you can't win the race in the first corner. Of course, being a truth universally acknowledged means that at every race, somebody tries to disprove the rule by launching themselves off

, competition for the inside line is fierce, as the first person through here is the first person into Turn 14, and therefore usually the winner of the race. Knowing that this is where to pass doesn't make it any easier though: running downhill and braking hard

, but Valentino Rossi quickest in the burning heat of the afternoon, showcasing his ability to ride when grip is low and tires are sliding. But the afternoon is when it counts, and The Doctor had taken a brilliant pole with a record-setting lap during Saturday